


The Summer Queen

by GlitterPoisonedMyBlood



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Beyond the Wall - Freeform, Breastfeeding, Colonization, Death in Childbirth, Dragons, Essos, F/M, Friendship, I'm Bad At Tagging, Infidelity, Magic, Matriarchy, Miscarriage, Near Death Experiences, Patriarchy, Period-Typical Sexism, Period-Typical Underage, Postpartum Depression, Pre - Robert's Rebellion, Pregnancy, Prophecy, Prophetic Visions, Refugees, Regicide, Religious Conflict, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Sibling Incest, Silver Millennium Era, Strong Female Characters, Valyria, Valyrians are Lunarians, no lemons just lime, the doom of valyria, the dragon has three heads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 09:45:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 81,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14746487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterPoisonedMyBlood/pseuds/GlitterPoisonedMyBlood
Summary: Serenity straightens her back as Princess Venus escorts her into the transport pod. Today is the day that she leaves the Moon for the gargantuan blue planet that it circles each day.  Today is the day she says goodbye to most of her court, her mother, and the way of life she has followed since the day she came from Galaxy Cauldron. Today is the day she meets her betrothed.





	1. Winter in July

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! This is something I came up with during the stress of finals season! The idea quite literally came to me at the worst time, and I had to write it down. Anyway, in the last month I've finished 50,000 words of this story, and when I'm done I suspect it will be about 70k-80k. It's only going to be five chapters, with around 15,000 words per chapter. I have already written chapters 2 and 3, but I only have 1/4 of chapter 4 finished and I only have chapter 5 outlined. Therefore, I will not be posting chapter 2 until chapter 4 is written, so that I have some cushion for updating. This story should hopefully be updated once a month. I'm new at tagging and will add tags as I go. I edited this chapter several times, but if there are any serious errors, please let me know.

Serenity straightens her back as Princess Venus escorts her into the transport pod.

Today is the day that she leaves the Moon for the gargantuan blue planet that it circles each day. Today is the day she says goodbye to most of her court, her mother, and the way of life she has followed since the day she came from Galaxy Cauldron.

Today is the day she meets her betrothed.

* * *

**279.**

She does not expect the response she receives when she arrives in Westeros. The kingdom is radiant, warm, and inviting. These people want her here, and they are loud in their boisterous desire to see the future Queen more closely. The colors are so vibrant, and the air she breathes is foreign to her lungs and to her senses. It is nothing like the Moon, where life exists only because Queen Selenity IX wills it to be. It is more than the stark grey landscape with artificial vitality. Her legs can barely carry her weight, she feels heavy, as though the weight of the world is on her shoulders. She thinks perhaps, that it might be.

She needs this marriage if her people are to survive the future that Princess Mars has prophesized. Serenity zi Lunaryon, Seventh of Her Name is the thirty-first Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium, and she has also been prophesized to be the last. After her mother traveled to the Galaxy Cauldron and asked for a child, she birthed Serenity with no help of a man and nothing but the blessings of the stars themselves. She had raised her daughter alone, and to be a woman who needed nothing from the universe. Princess Serenity had had a happy childhood, and had grown up with her guardians beside her. She did not know the true evil that existed in the hearts of men. Oh, she knew it existed, knew that to be mortal meant that to be touched by the dark; but she had ever experienced that darkness for herself. Princesses Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter were the patron Princess of their planets and took a vow to protect Serenity from birth till death. They had promised to give their lives for hers. She was to live at all costs. That was the duty of the Sailor Soldier – to be the shield of the Silver Millennium and the wielder of the Silver Crystal. These women were Princess in their own right, but they gave up their crowns to protect hers, and keep the Silver Millennium safe from outside forces of darkness.

This had all been decided when the Lunarians realized that their civilization could not be contained on the Moon. Twenty thousand years ago, her people had colonized all the planets in the solar system, and had advanced their civilizations under the reign of the Queen of the Silver Millennium, Selene II. The fourth Queen of the Moon had encouraged exploration for her people, and they had taken to it beautifully. The Lunarians were a curious folk. They always seemed to believe that there was a new home waiting beyond their reach, and so their arms extended far to discover the boundaries of time and space. It was in their nature to love the Moon, to protect it, to cherish it. After all, their people were created when the Goddess Selene cried tears when her lover was slain. In her sadness she created a race in her own image to nurture the place where they had fallen in love. She took her own life and willed all of her strength to be sealed within a lotus flower. As her tears hit the flower, it turned into a beautiful crystal and a babe – Selene I – was born. She was the new Selene, but she was also herself; both mother, and daughter. And from that moment, the Moon was ruled by the line of Selene, the Goddess who took her own life and wept so many tears that the Sea of Serenity turned them into a the Lunarian people. The Moon was quite literally in their blood.

The Lunarians had colonized every planet within their view, and had established new societies with a philosophy of love, peace, and happiness. All was right and just until the last Princess Mars foretold the Doom of the Silver Millennium. The Lunarians, as skilled as they were had dug too deep into their new planets and could not stop the instability that followed. The planetary cores were all unstable, or close to being so, and the Silver Millennium was in a crisis.

The only planet in the solar system that had a stable core was the one that the Moon had revolved around and the Moon itself. But the Moon could not support a population of nine million. It was simply impossible given the little resources available on the Moon. Lunarians could make the most inhospitable land a home, but the Moon had not the space nor the resources to continue their civilization. That was part of the reason they had colonized the other planets in the first place. Worse, the Lunarians who had colonized other planets had evolved with new traits that gave them more advantages on their new planets. Lunarians were resistant to most extreme temperatures, but each race of Lunarian colonizers had developed key traits that would be useless on the Moon. They had created their own cultures, their own kingdoms, and their own families. How could they return to the place that their families had left so many years before?

In less than twenty years, the planets that the Lunarians inhabited would be so unstable that they may kill anyone in the vicinity if one imploded. Venus was dangerously unstable, and the acidity in the planet had become so vicious that Venusians were already leave to seek refuge on Mercury and on the Moon. If her core exploded, Venus would destroy, the Moon and throw Mercury and the Earth off their axes in one fell swoop. If that occurred, then Mercury would be flung straight into the Sun, and life as they knew it would end. Princess Mars, the 27thProphet of the Silver Millennium had foreseen the entire thing and it had caused mass panic that led to Queen Serenity commissioning investigations on how they could successfully decolonize the planets and avoid the Doom.

Mercurian scholars had figured out that if they removed all traces of their presence on the planets they could heal and in ten thousand years they could be hosts for the Lunarians again. It was important information. After all, if Venus was destroyed they would all soon follow into an icy demise of death and darkness But they could not sacrifice the nine million souls that lived in the Silver Millennium, and so Queen Serenity had sold her only daughter – a maiden of only three and ten and heir to her throne - to a powerful family on the blue planet that they rotated around.

Serenity could not be angry at her mother’s decision, because it was saving the lives of her people. They are her people. They are her strength. It is her duty to preserve the life that was given when the Goddess Selene shed her first tear on the lifeless soil of the Moon.

Serenity is roused from her thoughts when the smallfolk begin to huddle around her transport device. Jupiter steadies her from the rough landing and Venus is wary of the crowds of people who clamber to see the new Princess as she arrives in King’s Landing for the first time. They throw flowers at her feet, and some are bowing on their hands and knees, worshipping her very presence. They have heard the stories, she thinks, that say that she is something more than a Princess; that she is a Goddess in her own right. It makes her uncomfortable to be worshipped so openly, but she ignores it. These are their customs, and now they will be her customs. These will be her people.

The cry of a child grabs her attention and Serenity’s neck snaps at an almost inhuman speed to hear the source of the distress. This child had fallen, with flowers in his hands to greet her. Against the will of her guard, and the Kingsguard who have come to escort her to the Red Keep she pulls the child up at his feet, and smooths his dirty hair, “Please, be careful,” she says, before putting her dainty hand to the cut on his cheek. When she pulls away, the crowd realizes the boy isn’t bleeding, and the Princess is gone.

* * *

 

She is met by the entirety of court when she arrives in the Red Keep. She is self-assured. She has braved court many times, and truly there is no difference between the whispers of the ladies here and the ones on the Moon. She knows of the deceit that lingers within the hearts of courtiers. But her new good-father has stricken fear in her heart. He is the thing that she truly fears.

He is mad. This she knows.

Reports have been coming in of his insanity for many years. She hopes it will not linger in her husband-to-be, but Princess Mars tells her in her all-knowing way that the madness has passed Prince Rhaegar.

When she bows deeply to King Aerys II, her ladies follow suit. Princess Jupiter does it unwillingly, as do the rest, but the pinched look on her face says she is more shamed by bowing to this man. Serenity gathers the voluminous white skirt of her chiffon gown and is careful to keep her eyes down. It kills her to bow to this beast of man – for he is haggard, dirty, and as sinister as the dark side of the Moon.

But this land, Westeros, is not the Moon. They do not follow women here. She is not the Crowned Princess of the Earth. She is not the Crowned Princess of anything here. She is to be the Princess Consort, a far demotion from her position as Crowned Princess of the Silver Millennium. She is not surprised that their King is a beast, because their ways make no sense to her. A mother births a child. Should she not be the one to make the decisions for her people? Women bleed but do not die, but here they cannot wear crowns.

King Aerys had sent a Knight to find a Valyrian beauty and when he came back empty handed, Rhaegar had narrowly convinced him not to kill the man. Rhaella had been the one to suggest they contact the Lunarians in a last ditch effort to pacify her violent husband, and it had been a difficult task. After all, the Lunarians had colonized every planet that moved around the Sun, and that included the Known World. They had settled in Valyria, and the blood of Old Valyria was once the blood of the Lunarians. Intermingling with the human population in Essos until their blood was red and their lives were no longer a millennia long. They had retained some of their heightened abilities – namely the ability to withstand fire, and had kept the Lunarian visage. That was when the Valyrians begun to keep the bloodlines pure. But their culture had progressed differently, for the Valyrians were only one of many civilizations on the blue planet. They followed the Queen loyally, and their destruction four hundred years ago had been a moment of true sadness for her Queen mother.

King Aerys had agreed to contact the Moon but there was only one communication stone left in Westeros and it was at Dragonstone. It wasn’t hard to reach, but nobody had tried to use the communication stone since the Doom. Rhaella and Rhaegar had spent days trying to figure out how to use it before they finally realized that they needed the light of the Moon and blood.

Queen Selenity had been negotiating a contract with the Prince of Nemesis, and Serenity had been fearful it would be successful, until her mother informed her that she had secured a far better deal for the Lunarians and for her only daughter. Princess Serenity would wed Prince Rhaegar, and when her Queen Mother died, Serenity would become Queen of Silver Millennium. It was a title more in name than in practice, as her marriage to Prince Rhaegar on his planet meant that her title would be consolidated with his. Her mother would rather that than hand their kingdom to the Nemesi, and so their contract had been signed in blood.

When the wedding happened, the Lunarians would follow their Princess and colonize Westeros to escape Venus’s demise. The Lunarians had inhabited the eight for thousands of years, and their resources were running dry. The core of Venus was unstable, and the Jovians and Martians were losing their water resources faster each day because they were sending what little they had to Venus. If Serenity married Rhaegar, King Aerys had agreed to allow her people to follow. This wedding must be a success, and she must ensure the King favors her, distasteful as he is. This man holds her kingdom in his mad hand and she has little influence except her sweetness.

When she is done bending the knee she stands, shoulders squared, chin straight, and eyes forward, as she has been taught.

The King is interested, that much she can tell.

“You are prettier than expected,” he says, “Good enough for my son and better than the other useless women here.”

She knows this is not a compliment. He is trying to create chaos between the ladies in court. They will hate her now, if they didn’t already hate her before. Regardless, she thanks him in slightly accented Common Tongue. She has learned the language of Westeros, and thanks to the emergency tutelage of Princess Mercury after the process of their betrothal, Serenity is fluent in High Valyrian. She knows enough of the Old Tongue to read ancient texts but cannot speak it as easily as any other language she has studied.

“Come forward, my son,” Aerys says, and this is the moment that Serenity meets the man she will marry for the first time. He is radiant, the sun and the stars. His intricately braided hair is almost as light as hers, but a white gold rather than an icy white. His complexion is rosy, warm and his violet eyes are full of an emotion that Serenity cannot place. He is twenty and one name days, and he is glorious. They are as different as night and day. She is the Moon and he is the sun and the stars.

He is standing by the throne, and when he is called he moves forward without delay. Dare she say her fiancé looks eager to meet her?

But this man – _this man_. He is not his father, that much is sure.

She does a quick curtsey, nothing fancy, and she barely bends her knee. If she is his wife, she will be his equal. She will not be subservient to a man, when she has come from no man. Her ladies follow suit and bend before the Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms.

She shifts her hand forward and he kisses it and it is probably the most lovely thing she’s ever experienced. His lips are soft, and they tingle when they touch her fingers. She thinks she might be smitten, if that’s what the tingling means. The giggling of her ladies behinds her shows her they agree.

King Aerys orders her to be locked within the Maidenvault and both Queen Rhaella and Prince Rhaegar look alarmed. Then she recalls that the tower her soon good-father is locking her in is used to keep virgin brides separated from their betrothed. She is not worried about staying in the tower until Aerys announces she will stay there until her moonblood and Serenity’s heart sinks. It will takes weeks for it to come, because it’s only three days gone. And not only has everyone in the Keep heard about her flowering, now they will think her a whore when she is locked in the tower for nearly an entire turn. Plus, her soon good-father has managed to insult her by questioning her virginity in front of the entire court. She tries to brush it off, but Serenity can’t help but mourn the fact that she must marry into this family at all.

This is but the first time that Serenity is publicly disgraced by King Aerys.

* * *

 

As soon as her moonblood arrives, the wedding is expediated because her good-father desires heirs for his heir. She knows what this means, as her mother spoke to her about the bedding before she came to this strange place.

They speak their vows, which both excites and terrifies Serenity, and she can’t help but to be amazed by how violet the Prince’s eyes are. The High Septon bonds them and Serenity feels his lips against hers. It tingles, and it is over almost as quickly as it begins.

She is married now, and when the evening is done she will be a maiden no more. At ten and three, she is ready to be a woman.

They sing, drink, and dance well into the early hours of the morning, a considerable feat as the wedding occurred midday. Princess Venus sings the traditional Lunarian wedding song, and although most of the courtiers have no understanding of the words she sings, there is not a dry eye in the house. It is a shame, Serenity thinks, that these people will never hear of Selene and Endymion and how their love created her people. Serenity is even more dismayed when she realizes that Rhaegar hasn’t understood any of what Princess Venus says in her song, in their wedding song. After all, Valyrian derives from Lunarian, so she is surprised that he has neglected to learn her mother tongue. Nonetheless the Lunarian courtiers in the audience are moved and they celebrate their Princess’s marriage in this foreign land.

Her mother kisses her on the forehead, and her sisters congratulate her and thank her for saving them all in the same breath. Her new husband is polite to her sisters, and respectful to her mother, and Serenity hopes that this means he will treat her with care while they are married, rather than the way she has seen the King treat Queen Rhaella.

Her ladies hug her deeply and wish her luck before she is carried towards her husband’s bedchamber. It is humiliating, she feels, and barbaric. But this is their tradition, and now it is her tradition too, so she doesn’t cry when she arrives at her destination nearly nude but for the slip she wore underneath her wedding gown.

She feels warm, and she knows that she’s blushing from head to toe because her husband is waiting for her and he is gazing at her. Gazing is not the right word, if she is honest. Analyzing would be better. He is staring at her as though he is appraising the finest piece of art he has ever seen. The way he looks at her is the way the Venus says that Adonis looks at her. He is looking at her with a fire in his eyes -desire- and she has no idea how this night will be.

He worships her. She has heard stories, from girls who were dishonored at court, and from one of the maids who cleaned her chamber pots about how men had used them, given them pain, and then left them in bed.

But this was nothing like that. He kisses her, all over her body, from the toes on her feet to the hairs on her head, he is gentle, _loving_. He is reverent, and Serenity hopes it will always be like this. She knows she is meant to produce at least and heir and a spare – and that she should produce a daughter for each son she births. This disturbs her, for she has no love for the traditional practices of her husband’s family. No matter this duty, she hopes for happiness.

She sees stars twice before he is pressing himself into her. It hurts, but only for a moment and then the pain is gone. He is moving into her and as she becomes more comfortable she meets him where their hips are joined.

He spills inside of her and his face is pressed into her heaving breasts. He is breathing heavily and Serenity thinks she is too. Her vision is darkening, and her body is tired. She feels boneless, exhausted, as though she’s swam the entire Sea of Serenity.

But she cannot sleep yet because the chambermaids strip the sheets from her bed and she is forced to put her arms around her nudity as she huddles near the bed, skin tingling under the summer evening breeze. When the sheets are on and the maids are gone her husband pats the space next to him. She slides back into the bed and is amazed that he is not tired at all.

She sees stars thrice more before she sleeps that night and she falls asleep gazing at the cherry blossom tree outside of her window and dreams of the past.

* * *

 

When she wakes up, Prince Rhaegar is looking her in the eyes. She is startled, and is ready to push him away before she remembers that they are married and this man is her husband.

She is a maiden no more and this glowing man is the reason she is now a woman.

She opens her mouth, “Your Grace-”

“Just Rhaegar,” he says as he puts a finger to her lips, guides her out of bed and then they make love in the bath.

By the time they enter the Great Hall to break their fast, the entire Keep knows that Serenity zi Lunaryon, daughter of Selenity IX, granddaughter of Selene VII is no longer just a wife in name.

King Aerys presents their sheets in the Throne Room like a trophy, and demands that it fly from the Keep so the smallfolk may see. Rhaegar convinces him that this is unnecessary, and eventually the King demands they be burned instead. Serenity sends her husband a silent look of thanks, and he squeezes her hand tightly under the table.

Serenity admits that she is terrified of her good-father. He is unpredictable, dangerous, and violent. This is reinforced on her third night outside of the Maidenvault when Aerys has a petty thief burned alive in front of them at the dinner table for stealing bread.

Serenity thinks she might lose her supper, because she’s so disgusted. Rhaegar is squeezing her hand painfully tight, and Serenity thinks he must also be worried. The King is unstable, and he is killing people left in right. That evening Rhaegar tells her that his father is displaying the same symptoms that Prince Aerion showed before he drank a cup of wildfire thinking it would make him a dragon.

Serenity is shocked by the King’s cruelty, but knows that she cannot stand against him. She has no child yet, and her place in court is not secure. If she acts against King Aerys her people will perish along with the unstable planets they are stuck on. The Silver millennium needs this alliance in order to save their population. Serenity must be the perfect Princess to her good-father. He cannot question her allegiance.

Unfortunately, this becomes more difficult when her good-father turns his restless eye upon her. She is wearing the tradition dress of her people, a simple white frock with a beaded bust. It’s a heavy dress, and the wings that fall from the back to mimic her own slow her down, but it is comfortable and covers her bosom. Until her good-father stares at her, she has never felt naked in her gown.

Serenity scrubs herself with scalding hot water and leaves the bath red that night because his leering makes her so uncomfortable that she isn’t sure she can even be in his presence.

If that isn’t bad enough, her good-father seats her damningly close to him at her wedding celebration tourney. Rhaegar is participating, and Aerys demands that Serenity, Rhaella, and Viserys come to each event to honor the dragon.

Her good-father seats her on the higher chair to his right, and his wife in the lower chair to his left. The implications are not lost on Serenity, Rhaella, or any of those who see how the King cuckqueans his wife. Serenity is sitting as far away as she can in her chair, and Rhaella, sensing her discomfort, hands Viserys to his good-sister for protection. Serenity gives a silent look of thanks and tries to focus her attention on her good-mother’s toddler. Viserys’ chattering in Serenity’s ear manages to keep her good-father at bay for most of the tourney until the fourth day, when the boy is left to the nurse-maids with an aching stomach. Aerys is drunk, and angry that Rhaegar is not participating in the joust. He leans over and Serenity can smell his decaying breath. His hands reach out and suddenly her good-father’s hand has slipped into the top of her dress and he is cupping her bare breast, his wickedly long nails digging painfully into her flesh. Serenity shudders and then gags when he puts his putrid tongue in her ear.

The crowd cheers, and it distracts her good-father enough that Serenity can push him away. Rhaella is horrified on her good-daughter’s behalf and both of them are relieved when the King drunkenly spills his red wine all over Serenity’s white gown simply because it means that Serenity can escape the clutches of her good-father.

Serenity feels dishonored and vomits into the privy until the nausea subsides and she can hide the shame. When she tells Rhaegar, he is furious and spitting fire. Serenity cries the entire night, miserable because her breast is bruised and bleeding from Aerys’ nails; she is home-sick for her mother and the Lunarian people; and she’s hating herself because she wishes she had never come to Westeros or met Aerys Targaryen.

* * *

 

It takes everything in Rhaegar not to strangle his father after he accosts his wife. He had known it was a possibility that his father would behave inappropriately towards Serenity, but he had assumed he would have violent, not sexual. Aerys was unable to keep his hands to himself, but Rhaegar never thought he would lay a hand on his son’s wife. Although he’d never claimed to sire a bastard, his father was known for his adultizing ways. Rhaegar knew he had been conceived in rape. His mother once admitted she had no care for Aerys as a brother, let alone as a husband. After he had heard that he vowed to never be like his father.

Princess Venus had comforted his wife for days, and Rhaegar couldn’t help but feel he was responsible for the mess. He knew that his father was unstable, knew he was dangerous, and a year prior he had begun to very discreetly gain the loyalty of the noble houses. He hoped they could peacefully remove his father, claim his insanity was a danger, but then he had begun to burn those who disagreed with him alive, and Rhaegar was left in a dangerous position. If he acted against his father, there was no doubt that Aerys would kill him too. After all, his father had Viserys to take the crown if he killed Rhaegar. And he had no doubt that his father would think nothing of dishonoring both his mother and his wife by taking Serenity as a second wife.

He doubles the guards that stand outside Serenity’s rooms, and confers with the virgin priestess, Princess Mars about never leaving his wife unattended. The Martians, Rhaegar knows, have no Royal House. Instead, they are ruled by a Priestess in each generation that is given the gift of foresight by the Gods. Princess Mars’ affinity with the sacred flame should be invaluable to keeping Serenity safe.

* * *

 

That afternoon her handmaids, Selena, Serena, and Seraphina, pack a trunk full of her white dresses and silver sandals, and an abundance of other things she is sure she hasn’t seen before. She and Prince Rhaegar are traveling for some time, to celebrate their wedding, and to introduce her to the noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms. Aerys is particularly wary about the Vale and the North. The North has no love for the Targaryens, but they respect her Lord husband. Truthfully, Serenity is thankful they will be leaving King’s Landing and Aerys’ madness.

Their entourage leaves only a fortnight later. They travel by carriage and by sea. They visit Dragonstone first, where Rhaegar shows her the bones of his ancestors.

“We conquered this land on the backs of dragons,” he explains, and then informs her of the prophecy – that the dragon must have three heads.

Serenity is skeptical. She knows his people are tolerant of fire, after all, they inherited that trait from the Lunarians. She believes in prophecies, after all she is here because of one. But humans are not like her people. They cannot tell the future.

Dragonstone is unusually bare. Considering it is the ancestral home of the Targaryens, there is little comfort within its stone walls. Unlike the Red Keep, and the ruins that remain of Summerhall, Dragonstone is a fortress meant to keep others out. It’s drafty, and the common folk on the island subside on the worst of diets.

On their third day at Rhaegar’s ancestral seat, Rhaegar agrees to take Serenity to the market. Serenity is excited to enjoy the sun and the breeze of the Narrow Sea but she knows that this is still a state affair and so she asks Selena to prepare her traditional dress and her favorite tiara. She slips into her silver sandals and her guardians walk her to the gates where their carriage is waiting. She enters and waits only a moment before Rhaegar joins her, hair in a messy half up braid and a crown of his own placed on his head. If they had been in King’s Landing they might have been able to sneak through the market unannounced, but there are no other noble families on the island and the commoners had thrown a celebration when the Crown Prince and Princess arrived. They would know Rhaegar immediately. He cannot hide here.

Rhaegar helps Serenity out of the carriage a while before the market because she asks to walk. She wants to feel the wind she says, and smell the salt water, so they walk down the port and are bowed to by the people. They reach the market and it’s small, less than a quarter of the size of a small market in King’s Landing, and has less than two dozen merchants selling goods. The market is located on the harbor and the people are elated to see their Prince and their new Princess.

But, Serenity’s heart breaks when a child rushes towards her and a Knight raises his sword.

“Please, Ser Arthur, she is only a child.”

The little girl has fire-red hair and she is very dirty. She’s most likely an orphan, or maybe she is one of Varys’ little birds. Either way, she raises her palms and opens them to present a sharp piece of dark stone.

“Is this for me?” Serenity questions as she moves to kneel. They’ve begun to gather a crowd now, since the townspeople have spread that the Prince and Princess are at the market.

The girl nods in the affirmative.

The townsfolk are whispering, now, because the Princess has her white dress in the dirt for a ragamuffin.

“Why thank you,” Serenity says as she opens her own dainty hand. “What is your name, my darling?” she asks with a wide smile, and that is when Princess Venus inwardly rolls her eyes.

Serenity is always like this – almost too nice, and King Aerys knows this and is banking on keeping the kingdom’s loyalty through Serenity. He is mad but he is not stupid.

“Mya, Your Grace,” the girl says, stumbling over her words slightly. She can’t be any older than five or six name days.

“Thank you ever so much, Lady Mya,” Serenity says and the crowd gasps that the foreign Princess is as kind as good Queen Rhaella, “Are you very hungry, my lady?” Serenity asks, “I am quite ravenous but I have never tried any of these foods before.”

Mya looks apprehensive, and Serenity supposes that this girl has had a hard life. Then Mya nods. She is hungry, and Serenity can see it in her eyes and in the way the girl’s belly looks bloated in starvation.

“Lady Mya, would you like to show me where to eat? I adore spending time with new friends.”

Mya’s smile is radiant and when Serenity straightens up and abandons her husband’s arm to hold Mya Waters’ hand. Rhaegar smiles pleasantly, and walks beside his wife as she coaxes the girl to speak and makes her feel comfortable. They visit every stall and Mya admits that she’s only tried the baker’s loaves because when they start to stale he gives them to the children but that she likes to watch Mr. Whiteland grill the fish he catches on skewers.

Serenity responds that they simply must try it and tries to eat the shellfish in a dignified way and fails. Mya gets it all over her face, and out of nowhere, Seraphina has a handkerchief to the girl’s face in only a moment. Mya finishes showing them around the market, not realizing that Rhaegar knows his way around with ease. She tells them stories of things she’s done (“I caught a crab and Jon lit a fire and we cookeded it” and “A big ship came and they threw lots of barrels of mead off the side and I tried to get one but I couldn't lifted it” or “the shoemaker gives me leather scraps if I does his sums”) and finally they get to the last stall. Mya looks disappointed when Serenity declares she is too tired to continue to walk, because she’s excited about having spent hours with the _Princess_ and now she’ll have to go back to begging.

Mya moves to sneak away but Serenity has a firm grip on her hand. “Lady Mya, how would you feel about never having to beg for food again?”

Mya’s eyes open wide, bulging almost, when the Princess calls over Princess Mercury, “Mya, this is the Princess of Mercury.”

“Where’s that?” asked Mya in confusion. One of the knights huffs at her lack of respect but Serenity seems unbothered.

Serenity points into the sky, “As close to the sun as your eyes can see. Princess Mercury has no handmaidens, Lady Mya, because they are all back at her homeland. But, she needs someone who can help her do arithmetic, and to drink tea with.”

Mya’s eyes widen even further when Princess Serenity asks _her_ if she would like to stay with Princess Mercury. She says yes and she cries so hard she can’t breathe through her nose.

When Serenity and Mya walk hand in hand back towards their carriage, Rhaegar notices that the smallfolk are tearing up and that is when he knows that Serenity has won their love.

* * *

 

There is a celebration when they begin to depart Dragonstone. The townspeople are cheering, and throwing flowers as they board their vessel that is heading towards the Stormlands.

The sea is calm and Rhaegar beds her four times before they arrive at the Stormlands. Serenity is unimpressed by the Baratheons, even though they are Rhaegar’s cousins. The oldest of the boys is a few years older than her, and she’s convinced he’s got a few bastards, because while they are there all he does is drink and whore. Princess Jupiter seems to like the Stormlands though, and goes on many a long walk to enjoy the terrain.

They spend only a fortnight at Storm’s End before they travel by carriage to Dorne. Serenity loves it in Dorne. The weather is warm, and the beaches are sandy and beautiful. She gets on well with the Martells, and she adores watching the sunrise in Sunspear. The women wear far more revealing clothes, and the people are looser with their affections, but it reminds Serenity of Venus, so she enjoys it. Princess Venus’ father as her mother’s brother, and so Serenity spent many a year enjoying the blistering heat of Venus.

Princess Venus and Ellaria Sand become fast friends, and Serenity suspects that her guardian-cousin has been loose with her own affections in their bed. She says nothing about her belief to Rhaegar, but Venus readily admits that she has spent each night in passion with the Prince of Dorne and his lover. When they leave Dorne, both Serenity and Venus are disappointed – Serenity because she enjoyed the weather and the culture and Venus because she misses the tongue of Ellaria Sand.

From Dorne they travel north to the Reach and Serenity cannot believe that she may love another place as much as the loved Dorne but the Reach is almost as beautiful as the Moon.

Rhaegar warns Serenity that she must make the Tyrells love her, “The Tyrells are loyal to the Crown, _very_ loyal, and behind the Lannisters they are the second most wealthy of the noble families.”

After seeing the Reach, Serenity cannot help but agree that with the fertile lands and the rich culture in the region, the Reach could have the capability of rising an army against the Crown. They spend an entire turn at the Reach and Serenity vows to go back, for she loves it so much that she cannot imagine returning to King’s Landing at all. She turns her charm on its highest setting and the Tyrells are even more loyal to the Targaryens when she leaves than they were when she arrived.

They are in the Westerlands for less than a fortnight because most of the important Lannisters are at King’s Landing. The Westerlands are the wealthiest of the regions of Westeros, she learns. Their mountains contain gold, and the Lannisters have mined it and become the wealthiest family in Westeros behind the Targaryens. Rhaegar tells Serenity that this is a danger, because the Lannister wealth and the Lannister cunning go hand in hand to created Lannister Lions. But Serenity is interested in their mining, and after Princess Mercury and Princess Mars do some digging, they confirm that the Lannisters do not have nearly as much gold as they have spread.

Serenity and Rhaegar reason that they are spreading false discussions of having flowing mines in order to sustain their political power over the Westerlands, and to prove a point with the Tyrells.

When they head to the Iron Islands, the atmosphere is decidedly colder. Euron Greyjoy has no interest in her, or Rhaegar, and when they leave, Serenity asks her husband if she made a mistake.

“No,” he replies as their carriage travels towards the Vale, “The Ironborn have always been that way. If they could be their own kingdom they would, but they can’t survive on their own.”

Mercury adores the Vale, and Serenity enjoys the peace she achieves there.

As they leave the Vale and arrive at Winterfell, Serenity realizes her moonblood never came.

* * *

They are welcomed at Winterfell with open arms, and Serenity leaves with her secret close to her chest. They’ve been away from the Red Keep for six turns and she missed her moonblood thrice, and they are not due back to Kin’s Landing for another two turns.

Her people do not suffer from the issues that pervade humans. Lunarians are stronger, faster, and more resilient. Nary a woman has died from birthing since Queen Selenity III reigned the Moon.

But Westeros is behind the Moon – they’ve yet to understand how to cure most diseases and their people drink unclean water. Serenity becomes frightened, paralyzed with fear because this is not the Moon, and there is no army of healers from Mercury ready to assist her. She sits in the bath as her husband calls her from where he stands on the other side of the door and she is too petrified to move. When she doesn’t answer he sighs and tells her he’ll be back in the evening.

She didn’t mean to upset him, but she’s terrified. If the rumors are to be believed, her good-mother has had eight of her children die. It is because of that that Serenity married Rhaegar. They married because he had no sisters to wife.

Serenity cries in Venus’s arms, and her lady-in-waiting holds her while Princess Mercury assures her that she won’t suffer the same fate. They shower her in love and affection and Princess Mars says that she has Seen Serenity older than she is now with all three heads of the dragon alive.

Serenity’s mood improves and she retires to the chambers she shares with her husband and finally meets his eyes. She smiles at him triumphantly, and without even telling Rhaegar that she is with child, he knows. They make love well into the night and Rhaegar tells her in that moment that he loves her. Serenity says she loves him back.

They decide to sit on the information for as long as possible, just in case. Rhaella, after all, had had two of his siblings die in her womb.

By the time they are back at the Red Keep, Serenity is swollen, but her traditional empire waist gowns conceal all but the way her breasts have engorged seemingly overnight. Her people are naturally slender, but aside from her breasts, and the sudden roundness of her face, and the painful swelling of her feet, no one but her husband can see the differences in the Princess Consort of Dragonstone.

On a sunny morning, they arrive to feast in the Great Hall, and Serenity can eat nothing but fruit. Aerys is watching her with an appraising eye, and Serenity knows that even though he is mad, Aerys is no fool. He is paranoid, dangerous, and insane, but not foolish.

“Daughter,” he commands, and all other discussion stops, “Maester Pycelle has told me that you have not flowered in five turns.” It sounds accusatory, and Serenity’s mind flashes back to the thief burning over supper.

Rhaegar can see Serenity stiffens, and her hackles rise. She does not like being put on the spot, and Rhaegar understands her discomfort. He moves to smooth things over by replying, “We wanted to tell you the good news in person rather than by raven father, that you are to be a grandfather in less than four turns.”

Aerys harrumphs and then grumbles, “Being with child is no guarantee of an heir!” Then he swivels his head to Queen Rhaella and continues, “You would know about that, wife.”

The courtiers are horrified, and both Serenity and Rhaella are holding back tears from the King’s abuse. Rhaella looks miserable, and Serenity is sinking deep into her chair to hide from her good-father.

She mumbles an apology to the King about feeling ill and when he permits her to leave she rushes in a mad dash towards their solar with speed Rhaegar’s never seen before. When Rhaegar starts to stand to follow her, he is harshly commanded to stay by his father, who talks nonsense for the rest of the meal. Rhaegar doesn’t remember a word, because he’s too focused on his missing wife.

* * *

 

She practices motherhood with Viserys. He is just like her husband, she thinks, with his radiant warmth and big smiles.

“Sister!” he calls as he races around her in the sand, “Look at!” and he places a small quartz, a seashell, and a broken piece of worn glass in her hands and kisses every part of her skin he can reach on his tiny legs. Serenity loves her good-brother deeply. He is only three name days but she feels they are kindred spirits. They are so close that Rhaegar hangs a portrait of the two in his study and gazes at it, wondering if their children will look more like his wife or him.

She dances with Viserys under the high sun as Rhaegar watches. Her ladies are watching from a safe distance, ready to protect her, even on the isolated beach. Viserys is in love with her the way only a child can be in love with his older sister. He idolizes her, and tries to mimic her almost as much as he mimics Rhaegar. Serenity hopes he will stay sweet and kind the way his brother has. She hopes he will inherit her good-mother’s disposition and not the manic, crazed, madness of his father.

Viserys hugs his sandy arms around her leg and as he has done since he found out he would be an uncle he places his hand where she has begun to swell. He is nothing short of fascinated with the child in her womb.

“Sister, is mine when borned?” he questions aloud. That is when Serenity realizes that Viserys must have heard the same things that she had heard – that Aerys planned to marry Viserys to her child if it was not the son he desired.

“Perhaps, my love,” she says, not letting her disgust with their sibling-marrying, incestuous practices show. She picks him up and he fits against her chest as though he has always been there. His bare feet wrap around her belly with some difficulty but his arms are a vice around her neck. She opens her hand and gives him a flower that morphs into a butterfly that disappears in the blistering sun.

“Again!” he demands, “Again!” until she has released an army of red and yellow insects into the sky.

They are happy.

* * *

 

Queen Rhaella and Serenity are soulmates, she thinks. She is sweet, and kind, and she reminds her of her own mother. The two ruminate on the next dragon, and Rhaella assures her that Serenity’s future dragon will be fine.

“He will be the salvation of this family,” Rhaella says, as they open wedding presents that had come from Varys’ partner in Essos.

Inside of a golden box lay six large stone eggs, with a note.

“Dragon eggs,” Rhaella marvels as she lifts one up, “But they are long turned to stone.”

“Hatch, mama?” asks Viserys from where he sits, squirming on Serenity’s lap.

“No, my darling,” Rhaella replies, “These eggs will never hatch.”

And in a shocking display of fluidity for only three name days, Viserys replies, “Fire cannot kill a dragon.” He repeats it perfectly, with an air of confidence that Serenity is sure is because he has heard the phrase his whole life.

The air seems to still, even as the cherry blossom tree outside her window shakes with the summer breeze.

“Yes,” Serenity agrees as she runs her finger through her good-brother’s fine locks, “Fire cannot kill a dragon.”

Rhaegar arrives just as they put Viserys to sleep, and he is in high spirits because of the eggs. It’s a sign he thinks, that Serenity will bear the three heads of the dragon. Rhaella tries to convince Rhaegar to ignore the prophecy but he’s insistent that his children will fill the prophecy. He had believed himself the prince who was promised but he has abandoned that idea and has instead come to the conclusion that their first child will be the Prince. Serenity becomes more and more anxious each time Rhaegar mentions the three heads. She tries to tell him that prophecies do not always come true, and that when they do it is because they are forced to do so.

“Trying to escape a prophecy or a will a prophecy usually has the opposite effect,” she says earnestly, “We cannot change our fates. Only the Gods can do that.”

It’s their first true argument, because Rhaegar takes her objection to the prophecy as a rejection of having more children and of his family’s history.

“That’s not it,” Serenity swears, “I am just afraid that this prophecy will cloud our judgment. What is most important is that we love our children and raise them to be good people.”

It settles their argument, but it puts a measurable distance between them for several weeks.

The prophecy cannot rule their lives. It cannot control their family. She worries that it is the beginning of the same madness that King Aerys suffers from. Just as that thought crosses her mind, Rhaegar dismisses their guards, and stations Serenity’s guardians at their doors.

“We cannot allow this to continue,” Rhaegar near whispers to his wife and his mother. “He grows more unstable each day. Yesterday he burned a man alive in the throne room.”

Serenity holds back her vomit, recalling all of the ravens Rhaella had sent during their grand travels across Westeros. Aerys had been mad when Serenity arrived, but Rhaegar and Tywin had managed to keep the King at bay. Aerys and his hand were not seeing eye to eye and it made Serenity nervous that a civil war was brewing if only because Tywin and Rhaegar were culling Aerys’ lust for fire and blood. Worse, Rhaegar knew that his father was beginning to see his eldest son as a possible enemy after the noble houses had sung praises of their visits.

“He is having us watched. Varys has been feeding him information.”

“Is he untrustworthy?” Serenity questions.

Rhaegar hesitates, “He is loyal to our family and the Crown. If the Crown were mine…”

Rhaella sucks in a breath, “You are alluding to breaking a sacred law of our people.”

Serenity shivers, “I cannot even think of the word.”

“It may be the only option,” Rhaegar says, “If father will not step down peacefully and hand the throne on it is the only solution. I thought perhaps we could dispose him if the remaining noble houses saw his behavior at the tourney but he was able to hide his insanity. For the most part.”

Rhaella locks eyes with Rhaegar and then with Serenity, “If we do this, then no one can know. They cannot even suspect.”

“If anyone finds out, he will put us all to death,” Serenity whispers, as she puts her hand to her swollen middle. She feels a swift kick and is reminded that the fate of this child and her people lies in the hands of a madman. In that moment she knows that she is now committed to regicide. It wasn’t for revenge, or fueled by her dislike of Aerys. Rather, she knew that if they continued to let him rule he was a danger to everyone – from the smallfolk to her unborn child. They were all targets, and Aerys’ madness knew no bounds.

* * *

 

Their travels across Westeros brought whispers, and the events at Dragonstone exacerbate them. The common folk spoke of their future King and Queen with reverence. They loved Rhaegar and Serenity in a way that Aerys had never experienced. Surely the smallfolk had no true dislike for the King, for they did not know the madness in the Red Keep. They knew full bellies under his reign, with excellent crops, and winters without starvation. But Serenity and Rhaegar had promised that and more. The nobles could only overthrow a king with the help of the smallfolk, and the smallfolk had more love for their Prince and Princess than their King, especially after the measures Serenity had taken to make improvements to King’s Landing.

They called her a Goddess, and these rumblings were the strongest in King’s Landing and Dragonstone. Serenity had taken to reforming what little she could as Princess of Dragonstone. There were schools for the common children now, and shelters for unwed or widowed mothers. There were orphanages that gave children better chances to learn a trade, and she had even had a library built that taught smallfolk to read for free. She had put a stop to wasteful practices in the Keep (which the nobles found distasteful) and had taken to donating the uneaten food from the extravagant palace meals to the shelters to feed the old and the sick. Serenity had donated the items of her trousseau that no longer fit her to the women’s shelter instead of gifting them to noblewomen. She had also ordered the castle seamstress to use the scraps of linen that weren’t able to be made into clothing into blankets and other provisions to prepare for winter.

These small acts had cause some annoyance for the nobility, who were unhappy that they were being ignored in favor of the smallfolk, but it had influenced the smallfolk greatly. In short, the people loved her, and they loved Rhaegar. He was charming, handsome, and he listened to the common folk. He walked alongside them while his father sat on the Iron Throne decaying with every breath. He gave them food, and unlike his father he held court and carried out true justice. Between the two of them, Aerys had no chance of courting the smallfolk.

For Serenity, she did not do these things with any expectation. Rather, she wanted the love of her people because she wanted to make their lives easier and happier, even as much as she wanted the love of her husband.

As Aerys’ madness grew more pronounced, Serenity was forced further into Rhaegar’s protection. Her husband cursed their situation, and the fact that their marriage was forcing his hand. But Serenity believed that they had been blessed. Their child grew and in less than three turns, she would have her baby in her arms. They could be happy parents of a child, but they could not forget their duties. Aerys would not let them forget.

Her good-father has also heard the whispers across Westeros, and he is anything but happy. He knew how dangerous it was for the people to favor the heir over the King. That is when they know they must treat even more carefully. If Aerys had any suspicion that the Prince and Princess had plans to remove him, he would execute them in a painful death and there would be no protection left for anyone. He would fall into his madness and he would take the Seven Kingdoms with him. Serenity shudders when she thinks of what he may do to their child within her if he puts her to death, and her commitment to stopping Aerys is renewed.

Rhaegar is gaining supporters of the smallfolk and within the nobility every day but he is worried about the Tyrells. They are fiercely loyal, wealthy, and they have the population needed that could create military pressure on King’s Landing if Rhaegar needs to raise an army. Without the Tyrells on his side, their would be no way to successfully depose Aerys.

The only positive is that the Lannisters have turned to support Rhaegar. They are a dangerous bunch, as wealthy as they are cunning and though he trusts them only as far as he can throw them, Rhaegar knows that at worst they will only sit out a war rather than take his father’s side. After being spited twice, Tywin Lannister has begun to spy on the King for Rhaegar. Initially Serenity is distressed to hear this. She has heard that you should never trust a Lannister, and she’s heard it several times from several different people.

“Never trust a Lannister,” Rhaegar agrees, “Unless they’ve got something to lose. If my father finds out Tywin has sided against him then he will go down with us. He shan’t say a word. Even if he did, all it would be is that I’ve asked him to tell me if my father means to kill any of us.” Rhaegar had asked Tywin a favor in exchange for another favor. He would not tell anyone that that the Lannister mines were running dry as long as Tywin kept him informed about whether or not his father had decided to have he or his wife assassinated.

Princess Venus assures Rhaegar that Dorne will side with the Crown Prince if they fall into civil war. She has influence over Oberyn, and she shares that Prince Doran is distinctly unhappy that Elia Martell was passed over a Rhaegar’s potential bride in a snub against his people. That makes Serenity somewhat uncomfortable, because she worries that the Sandsnakes may try to dispose of her as well. Princess Venus assures her that is not the case. Rather, she explains, the Dornish were not happy about being snubbed when they had never been conquered by the Targaryens.

“And what of the North?” Serenity questions.

Rhaella sighs, “They are unpredictable. They are fiercely loyal, but they have honor and I cannot see them siding with Aerys. He is everything that they stand against.”

“If we can get the Stormlands and the Vale to side with us, the North will as well,” Rhaegar pointed out, “Jon Arryn fostered a Stark and a Baratheon.” He pauses, “And the Baratheons are our direct family. Robert and Stannis are our cousins.”

Rhaella nods her head, “Stannis has honor for his family. Robert drinks and whores, but he mustn’t be so bad if the Stark boy hangs about them.”

“Isn’t the Stark girl, Lyanna, betrothed to Robert Baratheon?” Serenity questions inquisitively. She remembers meeting Lyanna at Winterfell. She’s a pretty girl, certainly, and Serenity enjoyed her vivacious nature. Lyanna reminds her of Princess Jupiter, even down to her dark hair and strong cheekbones.

Rhaella smiles wickedly, “That is something we can use in our favor. We must gain the support of the Baratheons. If we can do that, we will gain the Vale, the North, and the Riverlands.”

Serenity gasped, “Because the heir of Winterfell and the Warden of the East are both set to marry one of the Tully girls.” Serenity didn’t like either of them. They’d met at Riverrun, and when they had left, Serenity had a bad taste in her mouth. Petyr Baelish had seemed untrustworthy, and both Catelyn and Lysa had made snide jabs. Catelyn about Serenity’s culture and religion, and Lysa about the rounding of Serenity’s cheeks (she had only recently been with child) after Littlefinger had looked in Serenity’s direction with lust.

“Exactly correct, my dear,” Rhaella praised and Serenity smiles widely at her good-mother who has come as close as she can to being the mother that Serenity misses on the Moon.

“This may be easier than we thought,” considered Rhaegar, “But we should not become cocky. One mistake could cost us our lives.”

How right her husband was. One mistake _could_ cost all of their lives.

* * *

 

**280.**

Prince Rhaegar drops hints to courtiers who he knows will tell Varys information so that he can get his father to send him to Highgarden. After dropping careful hints that are slightly different and seeing which ones reach Varys for months he has figured out which nobles at court are informants and which are not. He and his mother decide he will take Serenity, but he cannot bring Rhaella and Viserys or his father will become suspicious that they have plans to destroy the Red Keep and everyone inside of it. But he cannot leave his wife at King’s Landing under his father’s thumb.

Serenity is heavily pregnant, and Rhaegar is worried that the journey may be too much for her. Her movements are slower, and Grand Maester Pycelle has confirmed that their dragon is only a fortnight from dropping. It is not an ideal time to travel, especially if Serenity is forced to have their son at an inn on the Kingsroad without the watchful eyes of Princess Mercury of Grand Maester Pycelle. But he also knows that if he leaves her behind she is at the mercy of his father. He sees the bruises that his father leaves on his mother, and he has no desire to leave his wife in the hands of a madman who has molested her before and has repeatedly raped his mother and other noble women at court. They plan to set out in three days. If the child does not drop before then, they may be able to make it to Highgarden before the birth. At best the Prince of Summerhall will be born under the fragrant roses of the ancestral seat of the Tyrells, at worst his wife will die on the side of the road. He ignores that possibility, knowing that if they don’t leave for Highgarden, they are all dead under his father’s rule anyway.

They must gain the loyalty of the Tyrells before they gather the loyalty of anyone else. If they can gain the support of the Tyrells, everyone else will be easy to convince. Most importantly, the Tyrells control the Reach and the Reach is the breadbasket of the Seven Kingdoms. If they have the loyalty of the Reach then they have all the grain supply needed to fight a civil war. They hope it won’t come to that, but it’s a possibility that Serenity and Rhaegar are forced to accept.

Serenity smooths her hands where their child grows and she is filled with fear. The King has burned three smallfolk alive in as many days. The nobles at court are seemingly held hostage. Aerys refuses to let them leave, because he seems to know that if what he is doing spreads across the Seven Kingdoms there will be open war. He does not seem to trust Rheagar and Serenity very much, but he clearly trusts them enough that he is willing to allow them to leave King’s Landing. Serenity is terrified that this is a plot from Aerys, that he has planned for his son and good-daughter to be murdered by a band of thieves on the Kingsroad to Highgarden. When she brings up this fear, Rhaegar admits that it is possible and so he discreetly asks Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning to protect them on their trip. Rhaegar explains it is to keep his wife and coming heir safe, and Aerys agrees without hesitation. That makes them both feel a bit better, but they are still wary of the Mad King. Yes, he is mad, but he is no fool.

Aerys is becoming bolder by the day, and he has begun seating Serenity in the chair closest to him whenever he can. It cuckolds Rhaegar, and embarrasses Rhaella. He spends mealtimes trying to force more food than Serenity can possibly eat down her throat. He is constantly touching her belly, and Serenity is unable to make him stop in fear it may set him off on a violent tangent. Worse, the nobles have begun to believe she has cast a spell on the King because he ignores his wife and keeps giving the Princess of Dragonstone his favor.

“He is enraptured by her mere presence,” they begin to say, “He has set sights for a new Queen.”

The worst rumor she hears is that Aerys had been the one who took her maidenhead and that the child in her belly was of his seed. Those who believed this rumor thought she was playing both King and Heir so she would be Queen no matter who was on the throne. The thought made her sick, especially since she worried that their children may inherit their grandfather’s madness.

A day before they are set to leave for Highgarden, all of their plans go to hell.

Aerys finds out that Rhaegar has been visiting with his mother and his wife for hours on end in his solar and his mind comes to the most immediate and correct assumption that they are planning to have him killed. In his rage he storms to his daughter’s room after he is done beating and raping his sister-wife. He will teach the Moon-bitch a lesson, and then he will take his son’s head and present it on her dinner plate.

When he slams open her door without announcing himself, Serenity is spooked. She’s just finished her bath and has only put on her smallthings and a light dressing gown she wears to sleep in the summer heat.

“H-hello, father,” Serenity forces out, stumbling at the loud crash of a vase that fell as her door slammed open. She hates that she must call the monster by such an affection name, especially when she has not father but her mother, “Is something the matter?”

When Aerys lets out an inhuman screech and raises his hand to shove her to the ground, Serenity lets out a startled cry and barely manages to break her face forward fall with her arms. She hears a sickening snap and an intense shooting pain in her left arm and realizes that while trying to protect her baby she’s broken her arm. She places her arms protectively around her swollen middle and tries to scurry away but Aerys is faster. He has his hands around her neck, and he is literally squeezing the life from her. She tries to raise her arms to push him away, or at least scratch him until he lets her go, but Aerys uses his free hand to send a fist straight across her jaw. It aches viciously, and with her broken arm extended, and her jaw alight with near fire Serenity can barely keep her eyes opening. It nearly knocks Serenity out, but she lets out a horrendous groan of pain as Aerys grabs and then twists her broken arm to pin her to the ground.

It becomes a cry of fear when her good-father begins to open his trouser and began to pull out his manhood. It is as deformed as he, and Serenity’s panic continues to escalate. She begins to pray, that anything, anyone, would stop the pain and save her from this beast of a man.

“You’ve used your witch-magic to ensnare me, daughter,” he ground out as ran his tongue down the side of her face, “And you taste-” he groaned and began to grind into her. “I thought my son was no true dragon but he’s put you in the family way. It is of no consequence. We can put another in you as soon as this one is gone.”

She shrieks and sobs but no one comes to her rescue. This is how she and her baby would die, alone in her chambers, raped and left for dead by her own good-father. He tears her dress with the hand that isn’t at her throat and she could feel the world closing in around her. Her vision is darkening, and she can’t see it, but her lips are turning blue. Her entire face hurts, and she knows her heart is racing because she can feel the blood thrumming in her ears.

“Aegon the first was a true dragon and he had two women to wife, and so shall I,” commands Aerys and he runs his tongue across her breasts.

Serenity prays it will end, that he never touches her or anyone else again, that he would let go of her, that someone-anyone- would come to save her from her good-father. In the blink of an eye, a flash of white light sent Aerys flying in that moment and as he struggled to stand, Rhaegar and her ladies finally rushed into the room. Before they could even take sight of the Princess of Dragonstone, Aerys stumbles, and staggers and he falls gracelessly out of the open door to her balcony, over the short stone wall, and onto the pavement four stories below.

The guards rush towards him but it is too late.

The Mad King is dead.

* * *

 

Her ladies, Rhaella and Rhaegar make a pact of secrecy. They had seen the magic, witnessed Serenity send him away. His own mistakes had caused his death, but they knew that some may not see it that way, especially if anyone found out that they had been conspiring to take the Crown from his head and the throne from under his bum. They take an oath in blood, sworn on the Moon and dragons not to speak of what happened, and to take their conspiracy to the grave.

The Noble houses travel to King’s Landing and arrive over the span of several days. The Tyrells arrive first, and Rhaegar and Serenity are grateful for their swift arrival because it means they have time to get their allegiance.

“We must court them for their support,” Rhaegar said as one of his wife’s handmaidens- was it Selena or Seraphina? They all looked the same - helped to tighten her white, beaded gown as Princess Mercury finished healing Serenity’s recently broken arm. “The Tyrells could be our most loyal supporters, but only if they are respected.”

Serenity nods as Serena finishes tying her hair into place, “You are dismissed, Serena,” she says and the blonde handmaiden bows deeply and exits the room.

“The Tyrells will support us,” Serenity says resolutely, as she slips her toes into her most comfortable court sandals.

The Houses arrive one by one and soon it is the day of coronation. Rhaegar is with his mother, seeking her council, and Serenity is enjoying her time with her good-brother. Serenity wants to watch Viserys. Now that his brother is King, and Serenity is with child, it is unlikely that Viserys will ever sit on the Iron Throne. Serenity wants to make sure that Viserys does not resent his family, so she gives him as much love as she can. She is relaxing in the large stone bath, and Viserys is swimming around it with his toy ship. She has fallen asleep when she feels a comfortable weight on her chest. Viserys seems to have given up on playing sailors and sea dragons and he has instead decided to sleep on her. They have plenty of time before the coronation, and Serenity closes her eyes and holds her snoozing good-brother to her chest before falling back asleep in the warm water.

She’s woken some time later by Princess Mars, who is careful to let the baby dragon continue to sleep. She helps Serenity out of the water and, still holding Viserys to her chest, Mars wraps her in a sheet to recover from the water. Viserys’ nursemaid appears with smallclothes and dresses him as Serenity sits down to allow her ladies to attend to her. They finish massaging rose oil into her skin and applying color to her lips and cheeks when Viserys is finally roused from his slumber.

Princess Venus is combing through Serenity’s long tresses and Viserys is fascinated when he sees his good-sister’s hair be trimmed and then immediately grow to compensate the lost length. He pulls on Princess Venus’s skirt and earnestly asks if she can cut his hair with the magic scissors. The girls all giggle and Serenity explains it is not the scissors that are magic, but her own hair.

Then Viserys asks from the floor, “My hair grow too, sister?”

Serenity smiles but shakes her head, “Not like this, Viserys.” It hurt to say, because truly she and Viserys share no blood, and this will be only the first of many conversations where she must point out the differences in their forms.

He looks disappointed but he continues to play with the sewn dragon that she and her ladies had spent hours perfecting for his name day. It walks, roars, flies only in his reach, and even spits a very harmless fire.

Serenity is still in her dressing gown when the gravity of the day hits her. Today she will become Queen. Her husband is a King. Princess Venus hugs her, and then Princess Jupiter sniffles. They are all crying and hugging and Viserys looks alarmed, “Sister, leaking!” The girls laugh and Viserys looks disappointed when his nursemaid begins to pull him from the room to ready him for the coronation.

The Red Keep is lavishly decorated, and every noble house is blessed to witness the coronation of Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and his ascension to the throne as Rhaegar of the House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. And as Serenity watches the crown be placed upon her husband’s head, she knows that they will make Westeros a paradise, without the Mad King’s desire for blood. He has melted down Aegon IV’s crown, his father’s crown and made a new crown. He will take the old and create something new – something better. The symbolism is not lost on those in the audience.

The nobles watch as the new King Rhaegar turns, and retrieves a delicate tiara of Mercurian platinum. It holds a perfect, white diamond in the center with pearls scaling across the sides, and it is heart like in shape. Serenity is reminded once again that she lives in a different culture when he announces her Queen Consort.

The smallfolk rejoice in the streets, and celebrations last for days after the coronation, including a tourney, a parade, and a ball.

* * *

 

When it is time, Serenity is instantly aware. There is a crystalline hum in her head, as though someone is asking for attention.

That is when the pain starts.

She labors for hours, helped only by a nurse-maid, two maesters and Princess Mercury.

Rhaegar is banned from the chamber but outside of the room he can hear her wailing in pain.

He is slumped in front of the door, waiting. His only assurance his wife is alive is that she is giving great cries of agony. Then he hears another cry join hers. He is relieved, for but a moment.

The maesters are shouting and he can hear the nurse-maid praying loudly to the seven. If this is the moment his Queen should die, he will not let her last moments be of pain. He breaks the door down, but what he sees on the other side is more terrifying than he could have imagined.

His wife is alive, and happy, if not exhausted, and she is holding a baby boy who has dragon wings and breathes fire.

Rhaegar is convinced his wife has birthed the first head of the dragon. They name their baby dragon Prince Rhaegon of Dragonstone, to honor both his father and his ancestor who conquered the land he will one day rule.

Across the solar, one of the stone eggs Rhaegar has on display cracks.

Two dragons are born within the day.

* * *

 

At first Serenity fears Viserys will be jealous of his nephew and the attention that he receives, but Viserys is mostly uninterested in his nephew when he finds out that he isn’t a girl. He takes one look at him, and says he doesn’t do much but sleep and cry, which Serenity can’t disagree with.

“When can he played, sister?” he asks thoughtfully.

Serenity bites her lip to keep herself from laughing, “Not for a while yet, little dragon. He is too small to play for now.”

Viserys looks disappointed but then he smiles, “Mama borned, too.”

Serenity tries to smile but Viserys doesn’t notice that her eyes are cold when she thinks about her husband’s future sibling. The Mad King left them a final gift, one that nobody had foreseen. Queen Rhaella is with child, and it was most certainly conceived on the night they both nearly died.

Viserys watches his good-sister breastfeed in amazement. He is very focused, and is amazed when fire appears after his nephew burps. When Rhaegon is back asleep, Serenity notices that her good-brother is fixated at the place where his nephew was.

He has questions – many questions about what he’s seen. He knows what breastfeeding is – after all he has yet to leave his wet nurse’s teat. But he does not understand why Rhaegon does not have a wet nurse. “I give him mine?” he asks, and Serenity’s heart soars with how sweet Viserys is.

“No, my love,” she says as she lays him down to sleep, “Although you are a kind boy for offering, the wet nurses are too afraid of Rhaegon’s burps.” That is putting it kindly. Wet nursing was unusual on the Moon, because the population was so much lower, and so Serenity had already planned to feed her son. Now, she had no other option because the nurses in residence were terrified that they would be savaged by her son.

“Me too,” Viserys responds determinedly, and Serenity finds out that Viserys has the same streak of jealousy she has seen in her husband when a man looks at her just a little too closely.

* * *

 

Tywin Lannister’s daughter has come to visit court for Rhaegon’s name day tourney and Serenity dislikes her after only speaking to her for a few minutes.

Cersei is spiteful, mean, and wickedly smart – and not in a good way. Her tongue is acidic. Serenity remains determinedly polite but when she is alone with her trusted ladies from the Moon she confesses that she doesn’t understand why she dislikes the girl so deeply, or why Cersei disliked her before meeting her.

To be fair, most of the ladies at court do not like Serenity, but it’s nothing to do with her personally. They dislike that King Rhaegar married a foreign bride while they were all in residence, and they dislike her because the people love her for giving up luxuries they are all used to receiving. As they meet her, many of the ladies change their minds, but Serenity is still wary of their behavior. She has ladies in waiting from Westeros that she has become close enough to, but she trusts them with little. He would trust her sisters with her life.

Instead, she bonds closely with her good-mother and continues to spend time with her ladies from the Moon. Princesses Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars are her sisters, her guardians.

When she confesses that she doesn’t understand her own feelings about Cersei, they share looks.

“She was the second choice as His Grace’s bride,” Princess Mars informs her, “I’ve gathered from the other ladies at court that she was very determined to wed the dragon.”

“Aye,” Princess Jupiter agrees, “My sources have told me that she felt jilted when she was passed over, since her father’s money and servitude to King Aerys is the only reason the kingdom did not fall during his reign.”

Serenity ponders this and wonders what the world would have been like had Cersei Lannister been Queen.

* * *

 

**281.**

Rhaegar realizes he must secure the complete loyalty of the Seven Kingdoms, especially the North, the Westerlands, and Dorne. Brandon Stark must stay at Winterfell, as he will be the lord there. Eddard on the other hand has just married Ashara Dayne, and is known above the neck as an honorable man. Serenity and Rhaegar scheme to invite the newlywed couple to Court, and Rhaegar appoints Jon Arryn in a new position on the Small Council – Master of Infrastructure.

With the permission of the Princesses themselves, Rhaegar and Serenity arrange for her ladies to marry into the great houses. Princess Venus is married off to Prince Oberyn of Dorne to solidify the bonds between the Targaryens and the Dornish people much to Venus’ delight. Princess Jupiter is married off to Stannis Baratheon of the Stormlands. Princess Mercury is betrothed to Jaime Lannister, who Rhaegar releases from his vows for this marriage. He and Serenity make this decision in order to keep the favor of the Lannisters, and because they notice that Jaime and Princess Mercury give each other many lingering looks. Princess Mars declines a marriage because her duty to the Gods must keep her maiden until the next Princess of Mars can be chosen.

Serenity and Rhaegar orchestrate these weddings for the sole purpose of tying more houses to the Crown. She doesn’t tell Rhaegar, but she plans to stop the incestuous activities that her husband’s family is known for by marrying their children to other houses when the time comes.

Tywin Lannister, who is still Hand of the King, is displeased with Rhaegar’s decisions, but Rhaegar can only tell because he’s grown up with the man watching over his shoulder. In any case, both Serenity and Varys agree with Rhaegar’s decision and that is enough for him.

Unfortunately, their plan comes too late, because Rhaegar crushes his first rebellion only five turns after his crowning and a week after Rhaegon’s name day tourney ends. The Ironborn believe that a new king is easier to overthrow and start moving their ships towards the mainland immediately.

“You will be safer at Dragonstone,” Rhaegar says the eve before he must journey to the Riverlands, “While I silence this rebellion and deal with the Ironborn.”

After he beds his wife, Rhaegar sends Serenity, Viserys, and Rhaella to Dragonstone along with several kingsguard, and Serenity’s guardians to make sure they are out of harm’s way in case the war reaches King’s Landing. On Dragonstone, they are removed from the violence, and are behind thick stone walls in the ancestral fortress of the Targaryen family.

It becomes boring within days of arrival. The island and many other parts of Westeros are not as lively while the soldiers are off to war, and so Serenity tries to fill her and Viserys’ day with adventures.

They explore the island and the castle of Dragonstone and Serenity shows her good-brother the skulls of his ancestors’ dragons. They inspect ancient Valyrian texts and Serenity spends hours exploring the Targaryen seat of power. One day, they spend all their time in the library reading about the history of the Targaryen family, dragons, and the Doom of Valyria. They learn about the tales that say that a dragon lives under the fortress, and is simply asleep until Old Valyria is awake once again.

One day she, Viserys, and little Rhaegon (who is strapped to her chest in a Jovian sling) find a hidden passage way deep below the fortress. Serenity calls for a knight to check the passageway for safety. When Ser Barristan deems it safe for them to explore, she tries to entertain Viserys by convincing him they are going on a dangerous adventure to find the sleeping dragon. Viserys is clutching his toy dragon, Balerion, fiercely, but Serenity notices that whenever he gets scared he jumps in front of her and squeezes Balerion to release his fire rather than hiding behind her skirts. When Serenity comments how brave he is, Viserys puffs his chest proudly and announces that he must protect his good-sister and his nephew, just as Rhaegar told him to. Serenity’s heart melts a little more at how much she adores her good-brother and the two explore the passageway with a torch when Serenity sees something that catches her eye.

The walls that line the passage are not grey stone, but murals of painted scenes. When she rubs the dirt away she sees scenes depicting the first Balerion conquering Westeros with Aegon on his back. As they go deeper and deeper into the tunnels with Ser Barristan a safe distance behind them, Serenity uncovers a freeze of a skeletal creature with a sharp obsidian blade through it’s chest.

Viserys looks truly frightened now, and Serenity shields his eyes and tells him they’ve explored enough for the day. When they are free from the passage both Serenity and Viserys let out a breath but for different reasons. Viserys is exhilarated from their adventure and Serenity is concerned about why this passage has been walled up, what the creature is, and why the images deep in the tunnel seem to look older than most of Dragonstone.

When Viserys is down for his nap, Serenity asks her good-mother about what she’s seen. Rhaella tells her a tale of the Long Night, the Children of the Forrest, and the First Men. When Serenity sleeps that night, she feels impossibly cold, as though a shiver has breathed down her neck and when she dreams she is surrounded by snow and a pair of glowing blue eyes meet her own. The chill gets more intense and Serenity gasps when she wakes from her restless sleep.

She feels as though someone is watching her, and quickly lights the torch beside her bed. The room is empty save for Viserys, who has crawled into her bed in the night. His head is lying on her chest and his arms and legs are completely wrapped around her. He must have also been scared in the night, Serenity thinks as she strokes his back. She tries to fall asleep but in her paranoia the sandman never comes.

* * *

 

They visit the market, and the children are quick to recognize Serenity and rush towards their new Queen. They hand over many small trinkets, from rocks and shells, to flowers they’ve picked. Serenity accepts them all and promises to cherish them, which the children love.

Ser Barristan begins to get twitchy when the children at the port ask to see the new Prince. Serenity grins broadly and without any hesitation, crouches down to show the children Prince Rhaegon. Serenity can tell that Viserys is jealous that she is giving other children attention and so she has the children introduce themselves.

“He’s so small, Your Grace!” whispers a little girl who is missing her two front teeth.

Serenity smiles sweetly, “Would you all like to hold him? You’ll have to be careful, babies are very fragile.”

Ser Barristan is horrified but Rhaella gives him a pointed stare. The people of Dragonstone have worshipped the Targaryens as though they are gods since they conquered the island after the Doom. Most of the island can claim relation to the royal family, and because of the harsh smell of Sulphur and brimstone, non-natives are unlikely to be able to bare the atmosphere. Those who live on Dragonstone are the ones that are the most loyal to their great house, and the Targaryens must always keep the loyalty of the smallfolk on their native island.

Helping them to support Rhaegon’s head, the children each take turns holding the Prince of Dragonstone. When they’ve all had a turn, they start asking Viserys questions (“What’s it like being a prince?” and “Do you get to spend lots of time with Her Grace?”) and Viserys asks Rhaella and Serenity if he can stay to play with the children for longer.

They all look at the two Queens with wide, hopeful eyes and Serenity allows it as long as Serena, Selena, and Seraphina stay with them and Princess Jupiter volunteers to stay as well.

As they walk along the water, Rhaella comments to her good-daughter, “You have a way with the smallfolk that even I never achieved.”

Serenity gives a lilting smile, “A monarch should know the smallfolk, not just the nobles.”

Rhaella hums in agreement, and Serenity finds herself hearing about the reigns of the most respected Targaryen Kings.

“Rhaegar will exceed all of them,” Serenity replies resolutely, “His fortitude of mind, and his compassion make him a wiser dragon than even Jaehaerys I.”

Rhaella kisses her good-daughter on the cheek, “Bless you for being the right wife for my eldest son. He will be a good king, but he will be a great one with you at his side.”

The two women interlock arms and after they retrieve Viserys (who is now covered in dirt from his exploits) they retreat back to the Keep.

The days turn into weeks and the weeks becomes turns and the Ironborn have still not been quelled. The ravens that Serenity receives from Rhaegar say that the issue is no longer crushing the rebellion, but weeding out enemies to the Crown and implementing a punishment. The Tullys and the other Noble houses of the Riverlands want a harsh punishment, since they have dealt with the hostility of the Ironborn for far too many years. Rhaegar and Serenity both believe that if they are too harsh with the Ironborn they may create more problems in the future. Over correspondence, they settle on a plan to penalize the Ironborn with higher taxes for five years and force them to hand over dominion of their land for the next ten years to the Tullys.

For those who violently resisted the King, the only penalty is death. Serenity does not like the fact that her husband is sentencing men to die, but she knows if the rebels live the other houses will see Rhaegar as weak. Under the advice of Jon Arryn, who is known to be an honorable man, Rhaegar carries out the executions himself. Serenity knows that it troubles Rhaegar deeply, and he has no desire to kill anyone, but he also knows he needs to gain the respect and admiration of the North. In his most recent missive he says that he expects to leave the Iron Islands in less than a fortnight, but he wants her to stay at Dragonstone until he has returned to King’s Landing as a precaution.

Serenity is afraid though, because she and Rhaella have been in the keep for months and Rhaella is near swollen with child. She cannot travel by sea back to the Red Keep safely in her condition. Rhaella is slower now, because she’s less than a turn from the birthing and Serenity discreetly asks two maesters to occupy Dragonstone in case the worst should happen.

And it does. Rhaella births a new dragon during a storm that wreaks havoc across Dragonstone. The smallfolk are displaced, and the storm rages so fiercely that Rhaella and Serenity must allow the townspeople into the keep. The ships on the port are all virtually destroyed, and until the storm passes, there is no way to contact the mainland without endangering sailors or ravens. The storm ravages the island for four days when Rhaella feels the familiar, sharp pains of childbirth begin.

The maesters seclude her in a solar in a far tower, and Serenity shepherds Viserys and Rhaegon away from Rhaella. As they hide from the storm, the Dowager Queen continues to birth a dragon and the smallfolk begin to worry when the labor continues for hours. Finally, a maester retrieves Serenity to tell her that the child is almost born and that Rhaella requests her presence. Serenity rushes to the chamber and immediately she knows that her husband will soon be without a mother. There is blood everywhere, bright red, and the nurse-maids are arm deep in red with blood soaked linens in their hands.

Rhaella pulls Serenity close as she holds her new daughter in her arms. Rhaella has not even had the squalling baby to her breast when her vision starts to darken. She has just enough strength to name her daughter Daenerys and make Serenity promise to raise her as her own before she passes on.

Serenity weeps as she holds her good-mother, and promises that she will love her good-sister as a mother would a child, and then promises she will bury her good-mother’s ashes under the cherry blossom tree.

Serenity is the only mother Daenerys ‘Stormborn’ of house Targaryen will know.

 

 


	2. Hijo de la Luna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity thought her life would be easier without King Aerys, and she has never been more mistaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I've got chapter 2 here for you. I've just finished writing chater 4 and I'm outlining the final chapter. This chapter sits at a comfortable 15,000 words. Thanks so much for all the Kudos! Chapter 3 will be posted when I finish writing chapter 5.

 

* * *

**281.**

Rhaegon’s nameday has come and gone when Serenity announces that she is with child again. Rhaegar celebrates, elated that he and his wife have produced the second head of the dragon. He is obsessed with the prophecy, and it makes Serenity wary. She has told him time and time again that prophecies cannot be trusted, and that they shouldn’t be taken as trust. His obsessed with the three heads makes her afraid. He believes that one of their children is the Prince Who Was Promised, and Serenity has no desire for their children to have any part in any kind of prophecy.

Outside, Serenity pretends to be as thrilled as her husband about their second child but within she is terrified.

Motherhood is rewarding, she knows, but she is but fifteen and has gone from the mother of none to the mother of three in less than two years. With Rhaella gone, Serenity is now raising Viserys, Rhaegon, and Daenerys as her children. She refuses to hand her good-siblings off to a governess, for they are just children and they need a mother. She does not want them to have a childhood where they resent their family. They are hers as much as Rhaegon.

Her exhaustion also runs deep. She has duties to the Realm that exhaust her both mentally and physically. She has no qualms with doing her just duties, but Rhaegar leaves for long periods of time and letters are far and few between. He travels constantly, and she is showing before she is finally able to tell Rhaegar they are expecting another dragon because she cannot tell him through letter. Thus she is forced to hide her belly under her flowing empire-waist gowns for two whole turns. By then she is only three turns from birth, and has told no one but Princesses Venus and Mars. She sends a letter to Princess Mercury so that she may come from Casterly Rock, but the Soldier of Ice is still in the Westerlands, and will be for a while.

And she is so very lonely. Although Princess Venus and Princess Mars are still at the Red Keep, Serenity is lonelier than ever. Princess Venus is a sensual being, as all Venusians are, and her time is occupied with Oberyn and the lover they share, Ellaria Sand. Princess Mars is in her yearly solitude, connecting with the Gods, and her husband has less time for her now that he is King. Even when Rhaegar is within the walls of the Red Keep his mind is elsewhere. He is constantly meeting with his small council and securing supplies for the coming winter.

Serenity bides her time with Viserys, Rhaegon, and Daenerys. She watches them sprout and she sees how the three interact. Viserys is fiercely protective of Rhaegon and Daenerys and he lingers just a little too closely to his sister for Serenity’s liking. She had hoped that without Aerys, he may forget about the less favorable of traditions that run in his family, but it seems he knows exactly what his ancestors expect of him. Viserys can tell that Serenity is not as happy as she once was. He’s five name days now, and he’s running around with his sister and nephew under her watchful eye. The days are getting colder; winter is coming and Serenity watches as the flowers in the garden die.

There are some lights in her life, though. Ashara Dayne Stark and Serenity are both expecting and it allows the two to become friends, which Serenity is grateful for. But it is not the same as having her guardians by her side. Her existence has become monotonous. Day in and day out she is surrounded by courtiers. They are like vampires, leeching all of her energy from her. The false flattery, the harsh words, the quiet comments when she leaves and enters the room. She cannot recall it ever being this hard on the Moon, cannot remember a time where she felt this disliked by the nobles. It takes every ounce of her spirit to force herself out of her bed, and it is tortuous dealing with the vicious ladies of her court who simultaneously compliment and criticize her.

Her people are leaving in droves from the eight planets of the Silver Millennium for Westeros. Together, the planets have a population of about nine million. The inner planets carry larger populations, and the outers carry far less. Between Pluto, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus there are only three million people. Jupiter has the highest single population at one and a half million strong Jovians. Venus is just behind them, with just under one and a half million Venusians. Mars holds about one million Martians. Mercury has the second lowest permanent population, with three quarters of a million Mercurians. The Moon currently holds one and a quarter of a million citizens, but less than five hundred thousand are Lunarians. The others have stopped on the Moon before traveling to Westeros. Before she married Rhaegar, the Moon had the lowest population, and was the wealthiest, and most densely populated in all of the Silver Millennium.

Her position is stable as Queen, and so her people have started to abandon the planets that are dying. Each day, thousands of her people traveled to Westeros to settle under the rule of the next Queen Serenity so that they can escape the destruction of Venus and the Doom of the Silver Millennium.

Politically, Westeros has never been better. House Targaryen has complete control over the Seven Kingdoms but Serenity misses her husband and she misses her friends. Her heart aches and the only thing that eases her pain is little Rhaegon. Her only solace in this life is her son. Rhaegon is the light in her life, like a halo of true happiness that radiates. He is a beautiful babe, with a moon upon his brow and violet eyes like his father. She loves him perhaps more than she even loves Rhaegar. Even her love for Rhaegon does not quell the anxiety in her life.

She was fragile, an in turmoil but the thought of another child is what stops her in her tracks. She is especially shaken by the thought of another dragon. Rhaella could not handle the dragon and died a painful death, and Serenity wonders if she will survive this child. Why should she live when Rhaella died? The fear grows as the days turn colder and by the time she is wearing furs, Serenity thinks that she may leave her son, and this new child motherless.

She wants to believe that Princess Mars’ vision of her with many children and in love with Rhaegar was the truth but she knows better. Princess Mars Sees only one possible future, and the future can change on a single whim. After all, Princess Mars had seen Serenity’s unhappy marriage to Prince Diamond of Nemesis in order to make peace with the Black Moon, and the Doom of the Moon Kingdom and subsequent destruction of the eight due to unstable planetary cores. Neither had come to pass.

As Serenity lies in her bed, hair undone and thighs covered in her husband’s seed, she notices that the cherry blossom tree outside of her window is finally dead.

* * *

**282.**

There is little fanfare when Serenity births the second dragon. Rhaegar, surprisingly, is back from his diplomatic discussion with Dorne. He had taken a long trip to meet with Prince Doran, whose gout forces him to stay in Dorne. The Red Keep knows how to prepare for the Queen’s labor. They have seen it before, and done it before. She has birthed the first dragon, and the second should be no problem at all.

Her people are stronger, and healthier than the Valyrian princesses and queens that they have helped before. She will be perfectly fine. Nary a woman has died in birth since Selenity III reigned and Serenity will be fine. She is fine.

Rhaegar is ecstatic, if nervous, as he waits outside of her door. She is quieter this time, and he is unsure if that means that it hurts less, or that she has gotten used to the pain of labor. Serenity has been generally quiet lately, in all things. They do not fight often, but the squabbles they used to have over political differences have completely ceased. She gives her opinion about matters of the realm, but says little else save the occasional quip about the harshness of the winter in King’s Landing. It’s as though she has no opinions that rival his own.

He has seen little of Princess Mars and Princess Venus and he remembers wondering if they had had a falling out, or if they were growing apart. Serenity had not mentioned anything, but he knows that women fight over petty things and take many moons to mend bridges.

He is roused from his thoughts when the sounds from their solar change. There is a cry – and he knows what the sounds is. He is a father again. The maesters call him into the chamber and Rhaegar meets his daughter for the very first time. She burps after her feeding, just like her brother, and Rhaegar is visibly disappointed when she doesn’t release fire. When she passes gas moments later however, he is amazed to see a flame expel from her bottom. His daughter is a true dragon, and his wife has done her duty, and produced an heir and a consort.

Rhaegar kisses Serenity deeply, and professes his love for her, and their daughter, and the second dragon, and doesn’t even notice when Serenity has no response. She is staring at their daughter, but it seems like she is blank.

They name her Rhaena after Rhaegar’s mother, and her dragon who hatches the same day, is named Rhaelle.

* * *

When Grand Maester Pycelle approaches Rhaegar nervously, he knows something is wrong. Someone must be dying for the man to look this afraid to speak. Pycelle tells Rhaegar that they need to speak urgently about Her Grace, the Queen Serenity, and Rhaegar is understandably alarmed.

They visit his wife, who hasn’t moved since the day before, and Rhaegar is confused. She hasn’t cleaned herself since they made love in the morning, and she’s lying as still as death in bed. The only reason that he knows she isn’t dead is she occasionally blinks her eyes.

Grand Maester Pycelle and Princess Mercury pull him aside.

“Her Grace is unwell, Your Grace,” Pycelle says delicately.

Princess Mercury shifts on her feet, “She is unresponsive, but she breathes, eats, and sleeps. I-” she pauses, “Your Grace, did Her Grace witness… the birth of Princess Daenerys?”

Rhaegar nods in the affirmative, with a pained expression in his eyes.

“I believe that Her Grace is in this state for a few reasons. She has been unwell for several months at least, and I wonder if it might be because she was traumatized by what happened to your Queen Mother, Rhaella.”

Pycelle strokes his beard thoughtfully, “It is possible, of course. I have seen some reactions to birthing, but never this severe.”

“How do we fix it?” Rhaegar demands.

Princess Mercury and Grand Maester Pycelle share a look, “There is a tonic,” Mercury begins, “But to make it I need ingredients that we do not have. I must contact the eight and see if they have what I need. If she takes it for long enough, Her Grace should recover.”

Rhaegar breathes deeply, “Princess Mercury, you must answer this question as a healer, and not as her friend.”

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“Is my wife fit to rule?”

Princess Mercury looks confused and Rhaegar clarifies quite baldly, “I am asking if she has the same sickness as my father.”

Princess Mercury rushes to respond, “No, Your Grace. For some reason or another, sometimes women experience this after they are with child. It is not normal, but it is not unheard of. She can and will recover, it will just take time. Until then, she cannot be seen.”

Rhaegar knows exactly what she means. The people will talk. After his father, there are still some Houses that distrust the Dragons. Aerys had done terrible things to Lords and smiths alike, and there were other kings who had done things just as bad. The coin had flipped and Aerys was mad but he was not great. If the people knew of Serenity’s sickness they would be ill at ease. No one can know about what ails his wife.

He dismisses all but her most loyal servants, and swears Pycelle and Mercury into secrecy.

* * *

**283.**

Serenity knows she should be happy that she finally has her daughter in her arms but nothing seems to connect. She sleeps for hours a day, and barely responds when her husband mounts her.

It isn’t until she wakes up surrounded by the maesters that she realizes something is wrong.

They tell her she was still in her bed for an entire year.

Rhaena’s nameday has passed, and Viserys has begun his sword training. Daenerys speaks in full sentences, and Rhaegon has started his lessons. The air is frosty, and winter is truly here.

A year passed in a blink of an eye.

She knows what men do when their wives are gone for a year. Or, more specifically, she knows _who_.

The maesters do not know how to explain her catatonia, but Princess Mercury, who has travelled back to King’s Landing to aid her friend, does.

“It happens sometimes, after children are born, Your Grace,” Princess Mercury says quietly to Rhaegar, “The mother sinks into deep unhappiness. I’ve seen it twice before.”

Serenity is aware that her husband and her guardian are speaking about her like she isn’t in the room but she simply cannot bring herself to care.

“Will she get better now that she is aware of her surroundings?” Rhaegar asks.

Serenity thinks that maybe she doesn’t want to get better. Maybe she doesn't want to do anything at all. Maybe her life would be better if she never left her room or spoke to anyone ever again. But she cannot say that. Instead she says, “Do you ask because you wonder when I may birth the last head of the dragon?”

The room gathers a chill. Winter has come, but there is something unnatural about the coldness in the air. Princess Mercury excuses herself.

Rhaegar spins to face Serenity where she lies in bed, “What are you trying to say, wife?” He has never seen such hostility from her. In the years they have been married, Rhaegar has never seen his wife be anything but happy, polite, and kind. She was loving, a pure soul. This anger is out of character. All of this is out of character.

But his anger makes Serenity afraid. This is when Serenity knows that he’s fucked Cersei Lannister. He’s never called her anything but her name until that moment. They’re ruined, _ruined_.

They shout at each other until they are both hoarse. Rhaegar denies having relations with Cersei Lannister, and Serenity accuses him of only caring about her so that he can create the three headed dragon. They are both upset, and when they are done shouting, they stare at each other in silence. They’ve had disagreements before, but it has never felt as resolute as it does now. They’ve never had this much cold between them. Is this marriage? they both wonder, to survive for a few years and then fall apart when times are hard?

Serenity thinks she may have pushed her husband too far. She thinks she’s done it now, and condemned herself to a life of watching her husband toss her aside for another woman. So, she makes the decision to eat crow because if she doesn’t she’ll be even more alone than before. If he leaves her she is alone. If he sets her aside, if he loves someone else, her people are lost and they will all die in the fiery Doom.

“I apologize, Your Grace. Please forgive me,” she whispers, tears leaking from her eyes. She isn’t sure where they stand and so she is as formal as she was the first time she met him in the Great Hall. It’s her fault, she thinks, because she’s accused him of something he vowed never to do. She’s in the wrong, but maybe he is too. He’s away too much, and she doesn’t tell him how she feels. Maybe they’ve both made terrible mistakes.

Rhaegar looks her in the eye, and he seems to soften. He pulls her close and wipes away her tears. “I know. I’m sorry too. I neglected you to run this Kingdom,” Rhaegar pauses, “I’ve told you to call me Rhaegar.”

Everything is fine in that moment. They can get to know each other again, and move past the year she stayed in bed. They both make promises to change, to be better, to love each other more. For if they do not have each other, they have no one. A King cannot trust anyone, and neither can a Queen. But if they have each other, they have one more ally to support them through the treachery of ruling.

When Serenity sees her children her heart is full and she regrets ever thinking she would be better off in bed. How could she have left them for so long? How could she have missed so much? What kind of mother can’t force herself to move even for the happiness of her children?

They are bigger, and she loves them even more. Viserys is missing several teeth, which he shows off proudly with a wide grin, and Rhaegon and Daenerys are attached at the hip. Rhaena is still little but she crawls after her brother, aunt, and uncle as fast as she can.

They love to cling to her, and Serenity wonders if Viserys’ possessiveness over her is a trait of the dragon and not a trait of him because she sees it in all of her children and in her husband. They hold her as though she is the only thing in the world.

“Mama, when I have moon too?” Daenerys asks as she places her hands on her forehead as if expecting to feel the crescent birthmark that her niece and nephew both have.

Serenity’s heart hurts because that is when she is forced to remind Daenerys that although she loves her as though she is her daughter, she is her good-sister. And so, Daenery and Viserys will never bear the symbol of the Lunarian Royal family.

Daenerys seems disappointed, but Viserys is blinking slowly as he says, “It’s okay, Dany. Mama loves us anyway.”

He is testing her and the word, Serenity knows, so she makes no indication that there is anything wrong with her husband’s siblings calling her their mother. She vows to teach them about Rhaella, so that they remember her sacrifice, but she reaffirms her promise to Rhaella to raise them as though they have come from her own body. She loved her good-mother, truly, for everything she had done in the months that they were together. And she is in agony every day knowing that if she was the true mistress of the Silver Crystal she could have healed her, could have kept her alive. But she is not the Queen she is only the heir and she has very little control over the incredible power of the Silver Cyrstal. So she will give her good-mother than only thing she can give her: her word. She will love and cherish them, and she will continue to teach them about the traditions of the Lunarian people.

She loves them with all of her heart.

The darkness is no longer closing in.

* * *

Cersei Lannister is miserable because her Hightower whore of a husband is drunk yet again. She’s angry, and unhappy that she is not Queen. The witch told her she would wear a crown and yet Cersei has yet to have a land to her own. Jaime refuses to bed her, and has refused since he married that blue haired bitch. He had never been unhappy with her in his bed, and yet she had been tossed aside from some boring know-it-all. They were _twins_. They were supposed to be together? Why didn’t he understand?

But her father says that it is possible that she may not have to be Lady Hightower for much longer. According to him, the Moon Bitch may have issue, but there is no guarantee the brats will survive the winter. The conversation alone is treason, and he makes his daughter swear not to mention what she knows to anyone, or let anyone know she knows that anything is amiss in King’s Landing.

Cersei is a smart young lady, and she knows exactly how temporary the Crown is. When she says this much to her father he smiles at her triumphantly. Cersei is his favorite child even if he does not have to choose. There is no competition between his daughter and his sons. Tyrion is a monster and worth nothing in his eyes. What child kills his mother on his way out? And is an imp at that? The beast is not his son, even if he is his blood. He is ugly, with mismatched eyes and dirty white hair. He is _nothing._

And although Jaime will one day be the Lord of Casterly Rock, he is too soft, and too loyal to the Targaryens for Tywin’s liking. The Lannisters are proud lions, and Jaime is weak. He has too many emotions, and he loves too deeply. He cares too much about others when he should only care about her.

But Cersei is something different than her siblings. She rises above them because she _is_ above them. She is a true lady, but she wields her tongue and her mind like a poison knife. She alone learned the true lessons that their father taught. Trust no one, but family should be put above all else. A Lannister pays their debts, and it is important to make more people need you than you need them. If you have power over them, they cannot have power over you.

So when Cersei’s husband has a private meeting Cersei knows that she must hear the conversation. Her husband does not allow her to join in political affairs, so Cersei’s only option is to peak in on her husband’s meeting from a hole in a tapestry that she is viewing through a passage in the wall. He is a brute, and an idiot and he whores too much. If she had the power that he had she would bring the Moon Bitch to ruin. But she is a woman in a man’s world and all her back stabbing must be coated in sugar. Unless, perhaps, she uses her father’s gold to make herself the ruler of Oldtown.

She misses half the conversation, because the meet starts earlier than her husband told her, and so she only catches the last hour of the meeting. But in that hour she learns many things.

Not all is well at the Red Keep. The Moon Bitch nearly died birthing Princess Rhaena. One of their group mentions something about the Faith and Targaryen practices when Cersei accidently crushes a stone under the heel of her boot. It echoes, loudly, far too loudly to go unnoticed.

She freezes when the men look around in confusion, and when her husband stands to search the room, Cersei makes a panicked flee down the passage and towards the farthest exit that leads her straight to the library. If anyone asks where she was, or what she was doing, Cersei was simply reading about the history of the Hightower family.

* * *

**284.**

Princess Mercury’s tonic has given Serenity the energy she needs to leave her bed and face the court duties she’s been neglecting. She and Rhaegar fear that telling the courtiers of her catatonia may remind them of the Mad King. Instead they say she was recovering from Rhaena’s birth. It isn’t a lie, really because she was recovering. But while the ladies at court are sympathetic and believe that she came down with the birthing fever, she was truly locked in her mind in her solar.

The winter is especially harsh this year, and it’s impacting all Seven Kingdoms in the a terrible way. The winter will be long, the maesters predict, and brutal, perhaps the coldest in several hundred years. The cold is chilling, and it is so painfully fierce that Serenity is chilly even under the thick furs and with her husband beside her in bed. Her people withstand harsh temperatures, and this cold is nothing compared to the cold on the dark side of Mercury but she feels the chill no less. And if she feels the chill she can only imagine how cold the smallfolk are in Flea’s Bottom.

The only area of Westeros that is still warm is Dorne but even they are wary. The midlands are relying on the food growing at the southernmost tip of Westeros in order to survive and it is putting too much strain on what little crops that Dorne grows naturally.

The common folk are dying from disease at higher rates than usual, and King’s Landing has been far below freezing for weeks before Serenity realizes that they need to change the way they deal with the winters. She has spent all of the allowance her husband gives her on blankets and bread for the homeless people in the city, and on a particularly harsh night that sees cold temperatures so low that their children all climb into bed with them and they pile furs high until her young daughter stops shivering. In fear that the smallfolk are bearing the cold on the streets, Serenity and Princess Mars start taking all the homeless in to sleep in the throne room on palettes with furs and hot soup. Freezing mothers hand the Queen their children, crying that they can no longer feed or clothe them against the falling temperatures of Winter.

She begs Rhaegar to add another position on the Small Council, someone who will prepare Westeros for each winter using agriculture, and Rhaegar agrees. Once again, the pair are at odds with Tywin Lannister, and they both think it may become a problem.

He and Serenity share a look. Jaime Lannister had admitted that Aerys had placed wildfire cachets all around King’s Landing, and it was taking a network of little birds to dismantle them and return them to storage. Tywin had apparently known about the wildfire, but had never mentioned a word to Rhaegar.

“He’s gotten bolder as of late,” Rhaegar says, “He’s not openly working against me, but Varys assures me that he is unhappy about losing the control he had over my father. And their gold is running dry.”

“That can’t be right,” Serenity whispers as she and Rhaegar discuss what they’ve heard.

“Varys is very infrequently wrong.”

“But… how?”

“They’ve been mining Casterly Rock for eight thousand years, and although Tywin Lannister is excellent at making golden dragons he’s just as well at spending them.”

“So that’s why he wanted you and Cersei matched so badly,” Serenity reasons, “Political strength, and because it ties Lannister gold to Targaryen gold.”

Rhaegar nods, “And the Crown treasury is separate from the family fortune. Access to the family money would make him a very wealthy man.

Serenity frowns and Rhaegar moves to explain, “During the Dance of Dragons both factions of my family feared financial ruin if one group took hold of the Crown. Since then, the Crown fortune and the Targaryen fortune are separate. We’ve twice the amount of gold stashed away in the Iron Bank and at Dragonstone under our family name than under the gold we call the Crown holdings. I have an account for our family, the _King_ has a vault for our family that is much smaller, and the Iron Throne has a holding. It keeps the wealth of the throne away from the family, and more importantly, the debt.”

“It’s smart,” Serenity agrees, “Especially if you consider that the Crown’s gold is not being managed by the Crown at all,” she pauses again, “By chance, does the Iron Bank also hold Tywin Lannister’s gold?”

“Most likely,” Rhaegar responds, “They are more secure, and they’re discreet. Why?”

“Is there any chance as Hand he was able to touch Crown finances?”

“No,” Rhaegar says, “It’s impossible. Every transaction between the Crown and the Iron Bank requires my seal. And I have never given it to Tywin Lannister.”

“Oh,” Serenity replies, “Then there’s no way he could bankrupt us?”

“Why do you keep asking about this?” Rhaegar askes curiously, and not angrily at all.

“I’m asking because Ned told me that your father owed a vast debt to pay for the tourneys he hosted. And the wildfire. And… everything else. You told me to be wary of the Lannisters so I am trying to be wary.”

“You shouldn't worry about it. Our debts are nearly paid from my father’s reign, but we’re tiring our coiffeurs paying for grain in the winter.”

Serenity nods, “That’s why you want to add a new position to the Small Council.”

“Yes,” Rhaegar agrees, “But it’s unlikely to help us until next winter.”

“What if you set up more trade routes to Essos?” Serenity finally asks, “Could that help us get through the remainder of this winter?”

“Now?” Rhaegar questions, “it could take months to set up diplomatic discussions like that.”

“Maybe,” Serenity admits, “But, what if we take a state? We can lower our tariffs on goods that come from the kingdoms that agree to supply us with grain.”

“It could work,” Rhaegar reasons, “I’ll discuss it with the Small Council.”

Serenity and Rhaegar agree to keep a close eye on the Lions of Casterly Rock, and then contact Ned Stark to become Master of Agriculture. They wonder if there is anything else Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King has kept from them.

Rhaegar begins to plot directly with Varys.

* * *

“There is something odd about him,” Mercury whispers to Princess Mars, “And I can’t put my finger on what it is.”

“They’re all like that, sister,” Princess Mars reasons, “The Maesters are an odd folk.”

Mercury nods in agreement, “But it is not that. He is… peculiar.”

Princess Mars sets down her holy scroll. Princess Mercury is a serious woman, and her genius has never steered them astray.

“Out with it, Amaeline,” Princess Mars says.

Princess Mercury glares at her friend before replying, “Do you not find it odd that he is only ever around when someone is near death? He always seems to be away from the Red Keep.”

Mars raises her eyebrow, “Is that a crime?”

“It wouldn’t be, Rhaeye, if he didn’t do it so often. He is always away or sequestered in his solar, and never with a mistress.”

“Maybe he is pious,” Princess Mars replies, “Not all men are whoremongers.”

“Maybe,” Mercury reasons, “Or maybe he is up to something.”

“And what do you suppose we do about it?” Princess Mars asks, “Tell His Grace?”

“No,” Mercury replies, “We have no evidence. I’m going to speak to Varys.”

Princess Mars looks thoughtful before she sits in her favorite chair, “Do you think that is wise? The Spider is more slippery than a snake and more poisonous too.”

“I have not forgotten,” Princess Mercury replies sharply, “But he is loyal to the Targaryen family, and if Grand Maester Pycelle is spying or something similar, he is working directly against the Crown.”

“So you believe him to be a spy?”

Mercury shrugs, “We cannot know without more information. But it fits. He is constantly away, and is secretive. But the question is only who he is spying for.”

“Tywin Lannister,” Princess Mars spits with annoyance. Mars had disliked him from the moment she arrived at King’s Landing. He did little to quell the Mad King’s rage, and although he paid off many of the debts that the Iron Throne had, he accumulated too many by indulging Aerys’ need for tourneys.

“Perhaps,” Mercury repeats, “But he could be spying for the Citadel, or even the Faith.”

“You think the Faith has employed Pycelle? And that they are plotting?” Princess Mars asks in alarm, “Sister, that is a serious cause for concern if it is true.” The Faith have a following, a very large following. They are the most powerful religious body in the Seven Kingdoms. Only the North follows the Old Gods, and the only other prolific faith is her own, which is the natural faith of the Lunarian people.

Mercury agrees with hard eyes, “That is the precise reason I believe we should watch him. And that is why I need your help. You are the only one here who has a good relationship with the Faith, even if they see our religion as barbaric.”

Princess Mars is the best ally that Mercury could have. She brought something unique to the Queensguard. Venus is the leader of their group, the strongest of the inner scouts, with access to special powers that the other girls would never have, like the ability to wield the Holy Sword, and the Chain of Aphrodite. Any room she entered she commanded completely, and although none of the other girls would mention it, she was Serenity’s best friend and closest companion. Jupiter was the most physically strong member of their group (although they could each lift loads with no problem) and had a mind for war and strategy. Princess Mercury was analytical, the brains of their group. She was highly intelligent, with an intellect that couldn’t be rivalled, and was perceptive to the point where she noticed small patterns, mistakes, and inconsistences where others did not.

But Mars? She was without a doubt the most valuable member of their group. Maybe not in combat, or in her ability to comfort their Queen, but in other ways. Where Venus commanded respect, Mars led silently. She had a way about her, a sense of intuition that allowed her to control any man within her gaze. She could see the hearts of men in a way that the others could not. And she saw the future, could connect with the Sacred Flame to see visions of what was, what is, and what would be. Where the other girls were born from the last Sailor Soldiers to become guardians, Mars was _chosen_ by her own people to take on the position. Her support was invaluable. If Mars could see something was amiss, then they were onto something.

Princess Mars sighs, “Fine. I will help you. But first we must gather our own information. Call for Seraphina and Selena.”

“Seraphina and Selena?” Mercury questions as a servant rushes to retrieve two of the Queen’s handmaidens.

Mars smiles knowingly and explains her plan. When she arrives, Seraphina is given a task and the girl smiles brightly and nods as she dots perfume to her wrists. Selena cuts and dyes her hair and then, dressed in rags, she wanders to the Sept of Baelon to pledge herself to the Faith as a Septa.

* * *

A turn after negotiations are reached with Myr, Mereen, Volantis, Pentos and Qarth, the Targaryen family set across the Narrow Sea. They are on a diplomatic mission, and they are traveling with an entire fleet of ships, knights, and all four children. Serenity will not be left behind because she is excellent at charming, and she refuses to leave their children in the cold.

Rhaegar and the Small Council meet with the Magisters by day, and when they have discussion on trade routes and tariffs, Queen Serenity is taken on tours of the cities with the children. She does her best to charm and impress the Essosi. This is their only chance for Westeros to survive the winter, and she must leave an impression on all those she meets.

It is in Qarth where everything changes.

Serenity does as she is told by her handmaidens and adopts the Qarthi dress, much to her husband’s pleasure and annoyance. Serena paints Lunarian runes upon her breast with a moon to frame her and that is when, perhaps, they make the third dragon. Rhaegar is angered when the gaze of men lingers on her too long, but he is pleased to see that men desire what is his, and this makes an erotic combination on the warm Qarthi nights. After Rhaena’s birth he has become more gentle. He touches her softly, as he did when they first married. He enjoys gliding his fingers across her skin, and his lips closely behind. He gives to her more than he ever did before, and when they are together she makes sounds that should make her blush.

He’s become more adventurous, and he is insistent that she mount him, or that they make love in strange places. She loves her husband, and although he is often absent, she knows her husband loves her in return.

But he is also obsessed with making the third dragon, and Serenity notices that during their travels he is overly attentive to her moonblood. When she asks him about it he simply states that he wants more children, and desires for his House to grow as it did before Summerhall. When Serenity doesn’t reply, Rhaegar asks her if she wants no more children. He looks afraid, and Serenity is unsure how to respond. She loves children, and if she could have a dozen, she would, but she worries that her husband wants children only to carry his name, and for the dragon, rather than to love them himself. She wonders if he cares only of the Prince Who Was Promised rather than his child.

As it is, Rhaegar rarely visits the nursery to see his children or his siblings. He is King, and busy, yes, but he is also a father, and Serenity wonders whether her husband remembers his promise to be good to their family despite his Crown. How can he father more children when he barely fathers the ones that they already have? So she only replies that she loves children. Rhaegar seems placated, but Serenity decides to explore Qarth and escape from the throughts in her head.

She is escorted by the Pureborn who is housing them when she makes a discovery. A woman, old, worn, and missing an eye tries to sell her baubles. She politely declines, but in sympathy of her crippledness, she asks her if she might have something to take home to her husband.

The One Eyed Woman looks at her with her good eye and Serenity is certain that this woman is not normal. Her eye is cloudy but she speaks in a voice so clear that it chills Serenity to the bone.

“ _Fire and Blood_ ,” she rasps as she presses a vellum scroll into Serenity’s hands and points to her belly. And when Serenity looks up from the weight in her palms, the old woman is gone, and the only evidence Serenity has that she was there to begin with is a scroll that no matter how hard she tries, Serenity cannot open.

When she gets back to their solar, she has forgotten about the gift completely, but knowing that Sailor Mercury enjoys puzzles, she tosses the scroll into her trunk where it is promptly lost at the bottom under the Qarthi dresses that expose one breast, and the thick furs that emphasize her elongated neck.

As they cross the Narrow Sea back to Westeros, Serenity kisses Rhaegar and tells him that the third dragon is coming.

* * *

“Another one?” asks Brandon’s son, Robert.

“Aye,” Brandon replies, “And he will have the same fate as the last.”

When Robb watches his father raise his sword and cleave off the deserter’s head, he cannot help but feel a bit sick inside. The blood soaks the snow, and he can’t unseen what has already been seen.

“Why don’t we just send them back to the Wall, father?” Robert asks. He is ever the peace-maker, honorable like his namesake uncle, and kind like his mother.

“When a man deserts the Wall once, Robb, he will do it again. He took the Black for life. He cannot undo what is done, so he must pay for his decision.”

Robb is hesitant but nods, “He cannot be trusted not to leave again.”

“Yes,” Brandon says to his oldest son, “One day you will be the Lord of Winterfell and so it will be your job to pass judgment and sentence. Just I have done today and your grandfather did when he controlled the North.”

Robb is smart and so he replies, “For honor.”

Brandon nods sharply, “For honor, yes. But also for respect. He who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps that man does not deserve to die.”

Robb nods his head. He understands. This will be his duty one day, and one day, he may swing the sword on a man who has made the same decision as the headless man in front of him.

When the execution ends, Brandon turns to Maester Luwin, “Have there been no ravens today?”

Maester Luwinshakes his head and Brandon growls in frustration.

“I thought King Rhaegar would be different than his Mad father, but clearly he only cares about courting the money of the South!”

Catelyn gasps and warns her husband that what he is saying could get them in deep trouble with the Crown. She has no desire to be at war with the South, for surely they would starve in the cold of this winter.

“We’re already in trouble,” Brandon says angrily, “The Wall is in terrible condition, because it hasn’t been reinforced in over a century. If it is to last we need to continue to fortify the wall. And more men desert every day. How long until there are no men left?”

Maester Luwin frowns, “The ravens are troubling to be certain. Master Aemon has assured me that they have lost six parties of Rangers north of the Wall this year alone. That's twice as many as last year.”

“If their numbers continue to fall at this rate there will be less than a thousand men manning the wall. We cannot continue to lose men.”

“To the wildlings?” Catelyn questions.

“Aye,” Brandon replies, “Or something else.”

Catelyn’s heart freezes. She’s heard the stories from Old Nan, but they are simply fairy tales. The part of her heart that believes in the mythology of Westeros cannot help but reason that if there was nothing to fear beyond the Wall, then there would be no Wall at all.

“There is nothing but wildings and ice North of the Wall,” the maester says.

“There is great evil,” Brandon insists, “I must send a message to my brother.”

With that, Brandon Stark sends a rider to Castle Black to Benjen Stark, the only Stark son to take the Black.

* * *

**285.**

They are three years into winter when Serenity gives birth to the last head of the dragon. Rhaegar is wary, after seeing how her last birth affected her, but Serenity assures him she is better now, and is excited about another baby. The third head of the dragon.

After Serenity comforts him, he is less worried when he waits outside of the birthing chamber. It has been a hard nine months. She has been very ill, and there were several times where Rhaegar wondered if their child would make it to his birth Unlike her last birth, she is vocal this time. Vocal enough that it begins to worry him. She’s been in the room for almost a day, far longer than she had spent with Rhaegon and Rhaena.

Ned assures him this is nothing to worry over and so he is patient.

When the agonized screams become so loud he can hear them from the Great Hall, he begins to panic.

He meets Princess Mercury halfway to the chamber and his heart nearly stops. She is covered in silver blood that could only belong to Serenity. They race to the chamber and Rhaegar cares nothing of impropriety and so he throws open the doors.

There is blood everywhere. It is on the bed, the floors, on the maesters, the servants, and the nurse maids. It is even on the ceiling, and as Rhaegar gets closer to Serenity, he realizes there is so much blood that it’s even in her long, white hair.

Her skin is pale, like nothing he’s seen before and Rhaegar thinks this might be the end of his wife. She would die today, and all Rhaegar can think is that he pushed her for another babe; that she never said she wanted more children. He’s done this to her. It’s his fault. The Gods are punishing him for his mistakes.

“Save her!” he shouts at the maesters. If the Gods will not fix her then the maesters must. Someone must. Anyone must.

Pycelle looks pained and responds, “I am trying, Your Grace, but there is nothing I can do until the child is out.”

“The child is stuck in the birthing canal,” Princess Mercury informs him clinically and he is reminded again that the level-headed ice warrior is a healer first and foremost, “Each time the child starts to descend, he goes back up.”

Rhaegar is looking at them in horror, “Can you not… Open her?” He hates suggesting it. He’s heard what happens to women who must be sliced open to birth their babes. The wounds fester, and they die of the birthing fever. His wife is about to die and there is nothing he can do about it.

“It would not solve the problem, Your Grace,” Princess Mercury replies, as she wipes Serenity’s head, “She’s lost too much blood to do that. We just need to keep her alive, and wait.”

“Wait?” he screams in a terrified panic, “She could die!”

Serenity is crying now and then lets out the most blood curdling shriek he’s ever heard and suddenly the _head of a dragon is sticking out between her legs_.

Princess Mercury jumps quickly to take hold of his child so that he cannot go back to whence he came, as Grand Maester Pycelle falls to a dead faint on the floor and Princess Mars swoops in to catch him. This is when Serenity also passes out, but from the pain or the blood loss, he is unsure. The nurse-maids put smelling salts at her nose and fearing she may die, Rhaegar helps shake her back to consciousness. She opens her eyes but her breathing is short and shallow.

“Rhae-” she stutters, “Pl-” she gasps with difficulty, “promise – her – not – me.”

Rhaegar knows exactly what she is saying. Serenity also thinks that this may be her end, and so she is making her choice clear. If he must choose between his wife and his child he is to choose the child that is killing his wife. Rhaegar knows if he makes the decision his wife wants him to make he will never be able to love the third dragon. If he defies his wife she may survive and hate him, or she may still die and he will still feel nothing but resentment when he sees his child.

“He’s morphed back!” shouts Princess Venus, “Push him out, _NOW!_ ”

With the last ounce of strength his wife has she lets out a silent cry and a great heaving breath and his child is born.

“A girl, Your Grace,” Princess Mercury says as the maesters try to save his wife’s life.

“See – her?” Serenity questions, and Princess Mercury kneels before the King and Queen with a baby in her arms.

She hasn’t even been cleaned yet, and she is covered in silver blood and fluid. What is the most terrifying is the silver blood in her mouth and on her lips and the great hanks of silver flesh stuck underneath the claws that have yet to return to human shape. He and Princess Mercury come to the same conclusion when they see that though the birth is over, Serenity is still bleeding. His wife had quite literally birthed a dragon, and that dragon had been ripping its mother from the inside out.

“Rhaenys,” Serenity manages as the baby is placed on her chest, “Third – dragon.”

“Yes, my love,” Rhaegar agrees desperately and hating himself in one breath, “Her name is Rhaenys.”

Rhaegar can hear the guttural gasping in her throat, and when she chokes on the air he winces and tries to force her to keep her eyes open.

Grand Maester Pycelle is shaking his head regretfully his face so unhappy that Rhaegar wants to cry and throttle him in the same breath, “There is nothing we can do, Your Grace.”

Rhaegar cries then, not caring who saw. His wife was going to die in the same breath that the third dragon lived. He had been obsessed with the dragon having three heads, and now that it did, that dragon would have no mother. “I love you,” he whispers as he kisses her forehead, “Six years is not enough.” He picks up his daughter and Princess Mercury takes her quickly.

Rhaegar will be burying his wife, he thinks, when she is only just nineteen. She is younger now than he was when they married, and her life will end before she sees her children grow. His wife is only nineteen, and he believes she is going to die until he sees a bright white light. Princess Jupiter gasps and the rest of the guardians say words in High Lunarian that he has never bothered to learn before making a star symbol over their hearts.

With amazement he realizes exactly what he is seeing, but he doesn’t know how he is seeing it. It is supposed to be with Queen Selenity on the Moon, but it is right in front of him, so close he can feel its heat.

The Legendary Silver Crystal.

It shines brightly, and is shaped like a flower he cannot name. It rises from her chest, and it blinks erratically before letting out the warmest, most blinding light he’s ever seen. He covers his eyes and squints and when he opens them he sees the true power of the Silver Crystal.

The cherry blossom tree outside of the window is in full bloom, and the sun is shining. _The Crystal brought summer_.

But what was a true miracle was where she lay on the bed, Queen Serenity was entirely healed, and inside the rock formation the crystal had created.

* * *

Time does not move for Serenity while she is in her Long Sleep.

She wished upon the moon to see her daughter grow.

She wished upon the moon to see her son marry.

She wished upon the moon to have a second and third son.

She wished upon the moon to hold Daenerys.

She wished upon the moon to kiss Viserys.

She wished upon the moon to marry her husband again, to lay in his arms.

She wished upon the moon to help her people.

She wished upon the moon to save Westeros from what was coming.

The Moon heard her.

* * *

**286.**

Rhaegar is determined to be a better husband and a better King after Rhaenys is born.

As his children grow, he makes sure they know their mother. “She’s asleep,” he says, “But one day she will wake.”

It is true, he knows. She will wake someday, but he is unsure how long will pass until his children see their mother. He’s terrified that Rhaenys may never meet her at all. What if she sleeps until their grandchildren are grandparents?

His children ask when the Long Sleep will end and he hates that question because he simply cannot answer. He doesn’t know, and nobody seems to have any idea when she will wake at all, just that she will, eventually. But Princess Mercury assures him that Serenity will wake and so he makes a point to be a better man than he was before.

He begins to learn High Lunarian from his wife’s guardians and speaks it with his children. They speak it better, because Serenity had been teaching them from birth. Viserys and Daenerys speak Lunarian far better than him and Rhaegar is embarrassed of himself for never bothering to learn the language or traditions of his wife’s people when she had learned and embraced the traditions of his family and of his Kingdom. Even the ones she found distasteful.

He notices things that he never had before. Viserys’ fixation on Daenerys, and Rhaegon’s interest in the lore of the Valyrian people are only two of the things he sees now that he never noticed before. He realizes that he has been both an absent brother, an absent father, and an absent husband. He’d been better after Serenity’s illness, but he had only realized after the Long Sleep how neglectful he had been. He would be better.

After what he’s done, he would be better.

* * *

 

Brandon Stark hears that there are not one but two Kings above the Wall.

When the near hundredth raven to the King is ignored, the Starks take matters into their own hands.

“We cannot allow the Wall to fall apart,” Brandon rages, “So we must take care of these matters ourselves.

He sends one thousand of his bannermen to Castle Black, where they will work with Maester Aemon to fortify the weakest points of the wall. It is a daunting task. The Wall is merciless, and even in the summer that the rest of the Seven Kingdoms are experiencing, the cold is so strong that without furs, a man would not live out an hour in the North.

The North is cold, far colder than it should be for the summer, and although Brandon is grateful that Queen Serenity has brought this would-be summer, he is bitter that that summer has not included anyone north of the neck.

Once again, the North is forgotten, and they alone stand against the true evil beyond the Wall. Brandon thinks back to the troubling letter he received from Benjen only a fortnight prior. His ranger party had been obliterated, but before Benjen and one other ranger escaped the bloodbath, they managed to find out that Mance Ryder was not the only King Beyond the Wall.

_There is another_ , Brandon reads, _something more sinister is beyond the Wall – something so sinister that the wildlings are risking death and execution to cross the Wall._

There could only be one thing more sinister than Mance Ryder, and Brandon refuses to accept that the stories that Old Nan has told are true. Because if they are, then Winterfell is doomed, and the North will follow.

“We do not need the South,” Brandon gripes as he sends for gold dragons to pay for the upkeep of the wall, “And we will not ask for help that they refuse to give!”

That is when he vows he will not send another letter to the Hand of the King.

* * *

 

“That makes no sense,” Princess Mercury says as she examines her findings again.

“What makes no sense?” Princess Mars replies in a quiet voice. They can’t be found out or they will both be in trouble.

“I compared some of Her Grace’s blood samples from when we lived on the Moon to the blood from her birthing and it’s… wrong.”

“What do you mean ‘wrong’?” Mars questions.

Mercury pushes forward the results of her testing on her compact, “Everything. It still has all her genetic markers, and there is residue of Silver Crystal power, but there is also traces of some type of… plant?”

“You sound unsure,” Mars points out, “Is it there or not?”

“It’s there,” Mercury says with finality, “But I don’t know what it is. It could be mineral based on the composition, but, it I think it might be a plant.”

“Something she’s eaten?” Mars asks, “They have different food here. Maybe she can’t digest it?”

Mercury hesitates, “I don’t think so. This is a high quantity, as though it’s been ingested every…” Mercury sits up, “Day. As if it’s been ingested every day! That’s it!”

Mars looks up, alarmed, “What? What is it?”

Mercury spins on her heels and leans in close to Mars, “Whatever is in her blood is something she’s been consuming every day.”

Mars looks confused so Mercury continues, “That means it has to have been something that was available to her _everyday_ since she’s moved here. It can’t be a food, unless it’s bread, because none of the foods that were available during the first Summer were available during the winter. But we’ve all eaten the bread with her every day and I haven’t found this in our blood. It can’t be that.”

“So then something she drinks? A specialty wine, maybe?” Mars asks, and then she opens her mouth in horror, “Amaeline, are you… _Has Grand Maester Pycelle been poisoning our sister?_ ”

Princess Mercury clasps her hand across the fire guardian’s mouth, “Quiet! We don’t know for sure yet, and our greatest asset is that neither Pycelle nor the Faith know we are looking into them.”

“We cannot sit on this, sister!” Mars whisper-yells, “If Serenity never wakes then Grand Maester Pycelle has killed our Queen!” Mars clasps her hands together, “Please, Amaeline. We must at least inform Maena and Laetys. We can sit on this no longer! He will poison her when she wakes if he poisoned her before!”

“If we inform them, then we must also involve the King,” Mercury points out, “And he has enough on his plate. And you know how rash he is. He could ruin any plan we make in a moment.”

“He should know!” Princess Mars booms in an angry whisper, “Pycelle could be killing our nieces and nephew! And Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys!”

“Fine!” agrees Mercury, “But if he ruins our plans than it is _your_ responsibility to assassinate Pycelle!”

Mars is shocked by Mercury’s outburst and then snorts quietly. It’s always the quiet ones that are up to no good.

* * *

 

Viserys, who is now days from ten namedays begs his brother to move his good-sister somewhere else. She’s been in their solar for too long, and although Rhaegar sees her every day when he wakes and every night when he sleeps it ruins him to see it. So he does as Viserys asks and as soon as he does he is amazed at what occurs. It takes twenty knights to lift the Queen and the crystal that surrounds her onto a solid platinum slab. It is extravagantly decorated, with precious stones and an inscription of how Serenity fell into the Long Sleep on the sides.

The common folk begin to call his wife the Summer Queen. Rhaegar opens the Queen’s Ballroom to the people and they worship his wife there. They leave flowers, gold, and gifts. They ask for blessings, and they pray in front of her unmoving form. After the first sickly child is brought in front of the comatose Queen and is cured of all ailments, men, women, and children flock from across the Known World to seek the healing powers of the Summer Queen.

She heals them all, and the sick walk away healthier than they day they were born. But the people are not the only ones who prosper during Serenity’s Long Sleep.

Agriculture booms, and as much as Rhaegar and Ned would like to say it is due to their plans for food security during winter, they both realize that its due to the Silver Crystal. They have so many crops that they could survive a winter of fifteen years without expending all of the materials they have stored. The food grows seemingly overnight under the influence of the Silver Crystal, and for the first time in memory, Westeros has enough food supply, labor, and money to support better trade routes, and mass industrialization. The roads in the North, which had badly decayed under the years of frost, are entirely rebuilt, and new bridges are added across the many rivers that run across Westeros. The schools, and social welfare measures that Serenity had paid for as Princess of Dragonstone are given ten times the amount of funds they had had before and Rhaegar is able to restore Summerhall to its former glory so that when the Queen wakes she has a place to call her own. Queenscrown is restored because of its significance to Queen Alysanne, who was the great love of Jaehaerys I. Serenity is Rhaegar’s love, and so he sends Jon Connington to oversee the rebuilding of the Northern ruin in her name.

Westeros had been wealthy during the Mad King’s reign but only because Tywin was smart with the Kingdom’s gold and had done an excellent job guiding the Master of Coin to make more money than the Kingdom spent. With the growth they had experienced since the Sleep, the Crown had no debt, and the treasury of Westeros had nearly tripled. They had so many agricultural supplies that they were selling the excess in Essos and it had earned a fortune.

As much as the Long Sleep has helped the Seven Kingdoms it is a danger to the Targaryen family. Rhaegar and the guardians fear that those who wish Westeros harm may find out exactly how the Queen grants miracles, and so through Varys, they spread a whisper that the Queen is the reincarnation of the old Goddess of the Moon, Selene and that her powers are innate only to her. The High Septon is unhappy about these rumors but accepts that it is done for protection rather than faith. Rhaegar could not care less though, because it’s not entirely a lie. Truthfully, Serenity _is_ Selene, or rather, was supposed to _become_ Selene. Yet, somehow, she is Selene while her mother still lives on the Moon. It is unusual, but stranger things have happened.

The Long Sleep is too long, and even through the warmth of summer, the Red Keep mourns.

Tywin Lannister broaches upon the subject of Rhaegar taking on a new wife and Rhaegar all but explodes before removing Tywin’s pin, and sending him back to Casterly Rock. Rhaegar is so furious he has no care that his family has publicly snubbed Tywin Lannister for the second time in less than a decade.

“After all I have done for you!” Rhaegar yells, “I released your son from his vows so he could marry and continue your miserable line and this is how you repay me? By snubbing my wife, and asking me to become an adulterer?”

Qarlton Chelsted becomes Hand of the King, and Petyr Baelish becomes Master of Coin.

* * *

 

“What this?” asks Rhaena as she holds up a worn scroll of vellum in front of her father’s face. It’s thick, and it has a ribbon with a seal that’s in High Valyrian. Honestly, Rhaegar isn’t even sure how Rhaena lifted the thing. She’s still very small, and so even on her tip toes and with her arm extended above her head at her father’s desk, the scroll barely reaches his neck.

Rhaegar pauses. He’s not sure what it is, but whatever it is, it certainly does not look like something that his four year old daughter should have her hands on.

“Where did you find that, Rhaena?” he asks sternly. If she’s stolen yet another one of the notes that the court Scribe has sent him he’s going to give her a talking to.

Rhaena looks really guilty. It’s the same face that Serenity used to make when he would wake in the middle of the night to find her snacking on a piece of cake in their bed.

“Mama’s solar,” she whispers and shuffles her little feet a little, “I know I not supposed to goed there.”

“Then why did you?” Rhaegar asks gently, even though he thinks he already knows the answer.

“I miss mama,” Rhaena sniffles and Rhaegar knows because he misses her too. He picks up his middle daughter, and gives her a big kiss on the cheek as he plops her onto the large chair he was sitting on moments earlier.

“Let me see,” he says as he takes the scroll. The second he unties it, it falls open and Rhaegar is drawn immediately to images of dragons. He cannot read what it says -the language is unfamiliar-, but he puts the scrolls gently down on the desk before him and Rhaena climbs from the chair onto the desk to see what it says.

She points at the scroll and says, “Moon.”

Rhaegar agrees to placate her until he realizes that his daughter is pointing at a word and not an image. In shock he wonders aloud, “You can read this, Rhaena?”

She looks at him sagely and then points at a different word and says, “Egg.”

That is when Rhaegar realizes that the scroll must be in some form of Lunarian. He has yet to learn to read the language of his wife’s people, and his speaking ability is still limited.

He calls for Princess Venus, who arrives in the solar only a short while later.

“Can you read this?” he demands, pointing at the scroll.

Princess Venus is surprised by his shortness of temper, but leans in to look at the scroll, “Of course,” she replies, “It’s middle-Lunarian. This is the form of Lunarian that High Valyrian is based on.”

Rhaegar thrusts a piece of vellum and a quill into Princess Venus’s hands and then says, “Would you translate this?” he pauses, “I think… this might be the key to hatching dragons.”

Venus nods and begins to write down the translation of the scroll in Valyrian. When she finishes she looks at Rhegar with astonishment, “There is a way to hatch dragons, if we have eggs. We need the light of the full Moon, fire, and blood.”

“Full moon, fire, and blood,” Rhaegar repeats in a murmur before his jaw drops, “ _Fire and Blood!_ ” Then he lets out a howl of laughter.

Rhaena is startled, but then Venus begins to laugh in shocked realization too.

The Targaryen motto had been more than a saying after all. That night they make plans to breed Viserion and Rhaelle and months later Rhaelle is nesting a clutch of five eggs in the Dragonpit.

* * *

 

He is pleased to hear that his wife’s people are coming in higher numbers each day to fulfill tasks that Westeros has no one to finish. The Mercurians, Martians, and Venusians have finished leaving their planets and have fully moved to Westeros. Under his direction and Princess Mercury’s council, they have begun to create artificial land on the western and southern coasts of Westeros. They are known to be the scholars of the eight. Mercury, Rhaegar is told, produces the smartest, most driven, and most learned people in the Galaxy. When the Lunarians colonized Mercury, they had figured out a way to build underneath Mercury’s surface, so that they could live in the planet’s harsh and unforgiving climate.

The Venusians flee to Westeros in droves out of fear of the Doom. Their core is so unstable that many of the Venusians had begun to migrate only days after the union between Serenity and Rhaegar. They are champions of beauty, masters of song, and the worship elegance. The Venusians had taken well to Dorne, because their customs of sexual freedom, and their love for the heat made them compatible.

The Martians are third to abandon their planet. Their planet was far colder than the Known World, and so when they had begun to filter to Westeros they had headed straight to the North. The Martians were a religious people, and so they had built their homes in treehouses across the Northernmost point of the North. They were frighteningly close to the Wall.

The Jovians are half way done migrating. The Jovians were the most active and explorative branch of Lunarian descendants. Their standing army was half their population and Rhaegar had put this to use. There were only a small population of Jovians in Westeros, most at King’s Landing. The rest had left as sellswords to gain gold and glory. Most of this gold returned to Westeros in exchange for goods and services, adding to the overall wealth of the Seven Kingdoms.

The outer planets were slowly migrating because they had much further to go than their counterparts. When the Plutonians and Saturnalians had arrived, many of the Westerosi had been afraid of their dark hair and eyes. Used to solitude, cold, and quiet, most of the inhabitants of the outer planets had elected to go beyond the wall and they had found many a thing there. Rhaegar had expressed concern of this being dangerous to Princesses Pluto and Saturn but both had agreed that Westeros could benefit from expansion, and that their people were used to and preferred the bitter cold and solitude beyond the wall. They had all agreed to send the Uranusians past the wall and the Neptunians had agreed to settle beyond the Wall as well. Some stayed in the North, but many travelled to the Land of Always Winter.

When the Duke of Copernicus approaches Rhaegar and the Small Council, Rhaegar remembers that he has more nobles to please now than he did before – and he must do it without his wife’s guidance. The Duke, who is a kindly old man with crinkling eyes and silvery hair petitions Rhaegar for the Lunarians to settle the ruins of Valyria.

Varys is immediately against the idea, “It may cause friction between us and the Free States, Your Grace. Volantis especially.”

“Yes, they do believe they are the next Valyria,” agrees Petyr, “But we all know that to be untrue what with the way they nearly destroyed their own city after the Doom.”

“Please, Your Grace,” the Duke asks, “the Lunarians miss our home. We see it in the sky but we cannot go to it. Queen Selenity is due to return to our Princess’s side soon and then we will never return to see the Sea of Serenity again.”

“Queen,” corrects Rhaegar without a beat, “She is a Queen.” It’s petty, he knows, because she is a Queen in name but has given up her rights to an empire and a Crown to be no more than a consort. Many of her people still call her Princess, because in their eyes, she is still the Princess of the Silver Millennium, and that outranks her title as Queen.

Jon Arryn cuts in, “And how do you suppose you will do that? What remains of Valyria is cursed. They call it the Smoking Sea for it still burns.”

“Aye,” says Princess Jupiter, “It does. But Lunarians have tamed worse. My own planet of Jupiter is made of nothing it all. It has no land, no water, no air. Yet when my ancestors colonized Jupiter fifteen millennia past they created bridges, tunnels, and structures that lean on tension weights and move through the core of the planet and around the surface. If they can make a planet of gas a home, they can make Valyria a noble land again.”

“That is precisely what we should be wary of,” Varys points out, “If the Essosi find out how far we have surpassed them by using Lunarian technology, we risk open war.”

“Yes,” Princess Mars admits. Then in an ominous voice, and with eyes that are suddenly glazed over she continues, “ _That which lies beyond the blessed doors brings the age of Gods_.”

The room is silent and when Mars blinks her eyes go back to normal and she is met with the horrified stares of Jon Arryn and Ned Stark.

“She prophesizes?” Petyr hisses, “How long has this been secret?” He spins towards Varys, “Did you know about this?”

Varys shrugs delicately, “If any of you had bothered to learn the history of the Martian people you would know that they have the gift of foresight.” He looks to Princess Mars, “That is how you became the ruler of your planet, Your Grace, is it not?”

Mars twitches almost impassively and then replies without emotion, “It is known, Lord Varys. In each generation there is one who has the true Sight, and she can communicate with the Sacred Fire. I have thrown prophecies before, and they have been true. That is why my Queen married His Grace.”

Rhaegar couldn’t contain his surprise. He hadn’t known that Princess Mars’ visions had played into Selenity’s decision to marry her daughter to him at all. But he supposes it makes sense, after all, Queen Selenity would not have allowed her daughter to marry him unless it meant their people would survive the Prophesized Doom.

“Regardless,” Ned cuts in, “There could be consequences if we lay claim to Valyria.”

“Yes,” Jon Arryn concedes, “But there may also be glory. If this prophecy is to be believed something that we need is in Old Valyria.”

Rhaegar stands, and speaks to the Small Council, “I am the Blood of the Dragon, and my ancestors were the only dragonlords to escape the Doom. We have right by blood and birth over our home land. We will take it.”

He leaves no room for argument, and the Duke of Copernicus makes plans with the Small Council to sail the Lunarians across the Narrow Sea.

When Queen Selenity arrives with a transport of Lunarian refugees, Rhaegar realizes that his good-mother’s support in Valyria will allow him to control the region without setting foot in the land.

* * *

 

**287.**

When the Queensguard tells Rhaegar of their discovery he is a dragon enraged with fire. “You mean to tell me that Grand Maester Pycelle has been poisoning my wife?”

Princess Mercury nods her head, “That is correct.”

“Why are you so calm about this?” Rhaegar questions angrily, “My wife is in an enchanted sleep, we have no way to wake her, and she might be in the sleep because of Pycelle!”

Venus tries to calm the King by replying, “We are not calm, Your Grace. Amaeline and Rhaeye have been gathering the information necessary to prove that something about him was off. They have only just told Laetys and I what they found out.”

Rhaegar breaths a bit better at that, and then demands to hear what they have found out.

“Seraphina has been sharing Pycelle’s bed for many moons now,” Princess Mars informs him without inflection, “And she has been going through his things each time they… and she gives him a sleeping tonic so he does not wake while she searches his solar.”

“From what she has found, what Varys has found, and our own research, we know that Pycelle is spying, and that Her Grace has been continuously fed something toxic since she arrived in Westeros.”

“Varys knows before I do?” Rhaegar growls angrily.

“Please, Your Grace,” Princess Mars replies, “If we did not know for sure something was amiss and told you that it was we may have tipped our hand.”

“I am your King-” Rhaegar begins before Princess Venus cuts him off.

“That is incorrect, Your Grace. We bow to you because Serenity bows to you, because until the Silver Millennium falls, we are still sovereigns in our own right. We call you with respect because Serenity calls you with respect, and we do as you command because Serenity does as you command. She is not here, and when the future bearer of _our_ Crown is under attack we do not act rashly.”

Rhaegar feels truly threatened before Princess Mars continues, “We respect you, Your Grace, but you are not our King. Until Queen Selenity passes the Crown to Serenity, we follow her orders, and they will never be against yours as long as Serenity is Queen on this continent.”

“Fine,” he grinds out, “But next time, I will not be informed _after Varys_.”

“We agree,” Princess Jupiter replies, “This was all done poorly, but we cannot take it back now.”

“As I was saying,” Princess Mercury cuts in to avoid another rant, “We compared the plants and minerals found in Westeros to the ones on the Moon and we found some that correlate. You have something here – moon tea?”

Rhaegar nods in horror, “Pycelle gave Serenity moon tea? How did-”

“No,” Mercury replies firmly, “He gave her one plant that is found in moon tea. It’s an herb and it’s harmless for anyone who is not with child. It was in the draught that Serenity has been taking during her pregnancies.

“From what I understand, it makes the mother very sick. The pregnancy is more difficult, and there is more pain, bleeding, and the birth is prolonged. And, it affects the children after the birth.”

Rhaegar is alarmed and before he can ask more questions, Princess Mars pipes in, “We think, _we are not sure_ , that it makes the milk of the mother toxic to the child.”

“But,” Rhaegar says in fear, “Viserys and Daenerys both fed from my wife, as did Rheagon and Rhaena and they are both fine.”

“Aye,” replies Princess Jupiter, “And we figured out why they are all still alive. Viserys and Daenerys share no relation to Her Grace, and so they were fine. We think the poison works by exploiting the cord that connects the mother and child. Only the mother’s milk is toxic.”

“What about Rhaegon and Rhaena, though,” Rhaegar replies worriedly, “Will they become ill?”

Mercury shakes her head, “We think we know why they are fine. Your father sent you and Serenity traveling for several turns, and this is also why Viserys survived. Aerys watched Pycelle very closely during your mother’s later pregnancies and Serenity’s pregnancy with Rhaegon. We don’t think he suspected Pycelle, necessarily, but we think Pycelle knew that he would be found out with the King’s paranoia, so he didn’t dose either of them, then.”

“He dosed my mother?” Rhaegar near shouts.

“Please, Your Grace,” Mercury replies, “Let me finish and then you can ask as many questions as you like. Viserys and Rhaegon were unaffected because of your father’s paranoia. After he passed, Pycelle must have felt comfortable dosing Her Grace and Your Queen Mother. He could not have given her more than a handful of doses before Rhaegon was born, and that made the concoction ineffective. It must be given regularly you see, and that’s the reason that both Rhaegon and Rhaena survived. While you were away, Serenity told no one of her state until nearly three moons from the birth. But Queen Rhaella was dosed many times, and it is most likely the reason that she passed in the birthing. She did not even live long enough for Daenerys to drink from her.

Queen Rhaella was under the Grand Maester’s watch with every child born after you and before Viserys. That is the reason that your siblings passed. Even one feeding after the birth is poisonous, and had there been a Maester in residence when your mother had you, Your Grace, you may not exist. But you were born when the new Grand Maester was being elected. So, Rhaegon and Rhaena were safe from Pycelle. But Rhaenys… Serenity was exposed for the entire pregnancy, because Pycelle travelled with us to the Free States and stayed in residence at the Red Keep. That is the reason that the birth was so brutal, why it…”

“Will she be safe?” the King demands, and Venus feels her heart break. The King has tried to love his youngest child as much as he can, but sometimes when he looks at Rhaenys there is a sadness in his eyes and she is certain that somewhere, deep inside, Rhaegar blames his daughter for the Long Sleep.

“Yes,” Mercury replies, “Because she never drank from Serenity’s breast. If she had, Her Grace, Princess Rhaenys might have died. Maena has theorized that even then, Rhaenys may have survived solely from living with the Silver Crystal in close proximity for so long. However, we cannot be certain of how their Lunarian blood might have helped them. We truly cannot be entirely sure.”

“We do know,” Princess Venus says, “That Queen Selenity confirmed the Silver Crystal left her possession after Rhaena was born. It has been within Serenity since then, and it might have been the reason that she healed from the catatonia. The Crystal has a mind of its own, and it must have noticed something was wrong with Serenity. Our guess is that it knew that without Serenity well, there would be no host for Selene after her death, so it moved on from Queen Selenity into Serenity.”

“Then why did it not stop the Sleep?” Rhaegar question, “Could she wake up sooner?”

“We cannot know for sure,” Princess Mars replies, “It could be that there is a bond between Serenity and the Crystal being created, or it could just be healing her. Selene moves into the new host with an act of miracle, and the start of the summer and the curing of disease that is happening suggests that Selene has occupied Serenity. The Silver Crystal works in mysterious ways, and from what we know of the Crystal and from Queen Selenity, the Crystal itself caused the Sleep in some way. Whether it is from the damage of Rhaenys’ birth or Pycelle’s poisoning, it matters not, because his actions created the damage in the first place.”

Rhaegar begins to pace at the window, “How do we catch him?”

Princess Mars smirks, “You are a smart man, Your Grace.”

“Well, we can’t go after him alone. If the information you’ve gathered is correct, Pycelle is not working alone. It means that every Maester after my birth has been poisoning our family.”

“That is correct,” Princess Venus replies, “Which means that there is a larger conspiracy, which means that unless we annihilate them all at once, then they could continue whatever scheme they’ve concocted. We cannot let our guard down.”

Rhaegar angrily storms from one end of the solar to the other and then stops shortly, “We must use Varys’ spy network and we must employ the Sand Snakes to gather information.”

Venus smiles like a shark for blood, “I will call for them, immediately, Your Grace.”

From the Sept, Selena sends a coded message.

* * *

 

When Selena arrives at Princess Mars’ solar, bruised, beaten, and bloody, Princess Mars knows that they have lost their spy on the Faith.

“I came as soon as I could, Your Grace,” Selena says as she curtseys, “But they found me out as I sent my last raven. They locked me up, but I escaped.”

Rhaegar arrives immediately and cannot stop himself from questioning how a lowly handmaiden has escaped the dungeons of the Faith.

Selena politely reminds her Mistress’ husband that she and all the other members of the Holy Handmaidens are skilled in many things, and have been trained to be the last line of defense to protect the Queen and the Heir should their guardians fail. “They shot down my raven but I used powerful blood magic to seal the scroll. They will never know what it said, although I do remember.”

“What have you learned, Lady Selena?” Rhaegar demands, quite forcefully.

She gives a toothy grin, “We were right to spy on the Faith. They cannot be trusted. During my time spying for the last two and a half years I have learned many things. One of those things is that the Faith has records of every Targaryen child born since Aegon IV. The other is that they are uncannily close with the Maesters of the Citadel.”

“But that’s over a century ago!” Rheagar explains, “Why do they need that information? We have birth and death scrolls here.”

“It is not for the reason you believe, Your Grace. They are keeping track of more than just births and deaths. I believe that they have been poisoning the women of your house for many years and are keeping track of which children have fallen to the poisons. They’re honing their craft, Your Grace.”

“They’ve been poisoning the family since Aegon IV?” Princess Mars presses.

“Perhaps,” Selena allows, “But perhaps longer. They are spiteful about the more… traditional practices of His Grace’s family.”

“They’re still angry about that?” Rheagar asks angrily, “I knew they were unhappy about it, but to go out of their way to…” He pauses, “That’s why.”

“Pardon, Your Grace?” Selena asks.

“That’s why Pycelle was poisoning my wife, why he poisoned my mother. The Faith wants to end the Targaryen dynasty.” Then he stands up and begins to pace, “It all makes sense. The Faith has been employing the Grand Maester for who knows how long to carry out this task.”

“That is correct,” Selena says, “But there is something else.”

When Princess Mars and Rhaegar look at her expectantly, Selena continues, “I also stole this scroll, which has a signed order to kill the Maester who was Grand Maester when you were in your mother’s womb, Your Grace.”

Princess Mars catches on immediately, “You believe that the reason that the Grand Maesters rotate so frequently is that they are refusing to poison the family. You think that the faith has them killed when they do not comply”

Selena nods sharply, “I stole all this information and used one of the devices that Princess Mercury gave me to send it along. I also started a fire in the dungeon, and left a body in my cell burnt enough that they will assume I died in the fire. You have some time yet to deal with the Faith and the Citadel, Your Grace, but do not wait long. I left fake clues that would make them believe that I was a Red Priestess. If they suspect anything, it is that I was spying for the Red God.”

Rhaegar is too busy considering his options to even notice that a servant has given him an order. That is when he demands a meeting of his most trusted advisors and his good-Queen-mother.

* * *

 

**288.**

Winter was a short three years, and Summer has been blooming for just over three years when Serenity finally wakes.

She becomes aware of her own thoughts and her own dreams. She sees a castle of ice, and a pair of blue eyes. Then there is nothing but white-hot cold, so frozen that it burns and then there is nothing.

She sees the Doom of Valyria, and the future destruction of her own Kingdom. She watches Princess Saturn drop the glaive, and sees herself in the arms of a dark-haired man. She sees a child, with rosy hair and eyes. The vision changes and she is watching King’s Landing burn with ice. It covers everything, and bodies line the roads.

She sees her family and her friends dead, and then she comes face to face with herself. But when not-Serenity opens her eyes they are not the molten silver ones she has seen her whole life but blue eyes that seem to glow. From behind her, a skeletal being, with a crown askew on his head snakes his arms around her waist and onto a full belly. He locks eyes with Serenity and his rotten mouth stretches into a smirk. Not-Serenity leans her head back against the creature and before Serenity can react she feels hot – truly boiling and the scene melts away to black.

When she opens her eyes the room is very crowded, but she knows no one around her. They are townspeople, beggars, and sick children crying at her feet to be saved.

She is confused, unsure of anything except that she is in the Queen’s Ballroom and she is lying on a solid platinum slab. She cannot move, because she is surrounded by crystal. Almost as soon as she thinks this, the crystal fades and she is sitting up.

The surprised cries of the smallfolk confuse her until she realizes that her wings are present. They are spread across her back, leaving pure white feathers as warm as the breeze behind. She concentrates hard to get them to dissipate, and when they do the crowd is gazing in wonder.

The commoners rush to get closer to the Summer Queen but the Kingsguard intervene.

She is a little dizzy, from sitting up too quickly, and that is when she is helped off her metal grave by Ser Arthur. Her hair is so long that when it falls to the ground in a heavy pool, she must wrap it around her arms to keep it from dragging behind her. It’s silver now, the same silver that her mother’s was. Selene’s silver.

The townsfolk are trying to get past the guards and they are enthusiastic that the Queen is awake. “Please, Your Grace!” a young mother cries, “My son – he has a fever!” Other townsfolk join her, begging and pleading, and Serenity is moved to near tears. Her own children have not seen her. She misses them, for they are the joy in her life. All children should be saved, she thinks, and in a blinding light, a scepter she has seen her whole life but has never wielded is before her.

The Moon Stick floats before her, glowing as it always has. The crescent moon of the wand is silver and it sparkles as though it is made from diamonds. The handle is the same iridescent Lunarian silver that she remembers. She knows what it means that this wand lies before her.

She is Queen of the Moon Kingdom. She is Selene.

She grips the scepter in her hands and raises it above her head. It becomes longer and longer until it is a staff and it begins to glow as the moon glows.

“ _Moon Healing Escalation!”_ she breathes in Lunarian and all of King’s Landing is warmed by a healing light of love, peace, and Serenity.

“The Summer Queen is woke!” the townsfolk chant together, and they overcome the guards and suddenly she is being held high above their heads and they are carrying her out of the Red Keep where word has gotten loose that the Long Sleep is over.

It is June 30. It is the Queen’s Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Was it what you expected? Did you catch the Easter Eggs?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here we go, the third chapter! You know what that means! Chapter 5 is two scenes from being completely finished! This chapter is jam packed, and is the longest of the chapters in this story, at around 17,000 words. Get excited! Thanks for all the super kind reviews. Please continue to leave them so I can finish up those last two scenes and make this story complete by the end of the month!

 

 

* * *

 

**288.**

As he writes his final letter to his brother Ned, Brandon Stark vows that this will be the last time that he will try to contact the Southern cunts. They have ignored his missives one too many times, and he is tired of defending the Seven against a threat that many presume does not exist.

The Nights Watch is fractured. It has not the support it needs to function, the supplies it needs to strengthen, or the men it needs to protect. What good is a wall if there is no one to man it? What good is the wall if it can no longer keep the evil out?

He had never been a believer in Old Nan’s tales, but he did believe that no human could make that wall. It stood seven hundred feet high in some areas, and it had continued to keep the wildings out. But it had to have been built for something else. A human cannot climb near high enough to pass a wall half the size of the one that runs across the top of the North. Yet those who created the wall chose to make it so high that a man could never consider climbing it.

Why?

He was forced to confront the fact that there was something beyond the wall, and after his brother Benjen brought him that undead creature his worst fears were confirmed. The White Walkers were real.

And that meant that some of the other stories he had grown up hearing were also true, or at least based in truth. The White Walkers had to have been created, or born, or… he didn’t know what. But the Children of the Forrest? Could they be real if the White Walkers were real? The tales said that the First Men and the Children of the Forrest had met many times, that the Children had taught the blood of his ancestors to worship the Old Gods.

The heart trees from the stories existed. The Wall that the stories said was created by the magic of the Children existed. The gods be damned Targaryens rode on the back of _fire breathing dragons_. If they were all real, if all of their stories were true, then the White Walkers must also have been real.

And if they were real, there would be another Stark to bend the knee to the shits in the South. His land had no love for Targaryens. But if he wanted to keep his land and his people alive, Brandon Stark, Warden of the North, would have to become Brandon Who Begged.

* * *

 

“But she did not escape, Your Holiness. She tried to escape by causing a fire but we are assured the silly whore did not get far.”

“You are certain?” the wrinkled one asked, “We have come too far for our plans to be foiled now. We cannot risk open war with the Crown. The people love that Moon bitch,” he sneered, “Who proclaims herself to be a god!”

The wrinkled one slammed his fists to the table in front of him, “There are only the seven, and yet this heathen claims she is the Goddess of the Moon!”

Septon Selwyn inwardly sighed. The wrinkled one was by far one of the worst Septons he had ever served, far worse than the fat one, or the shrunken one. The only reason Selwyn even bothered to speak with the wrinkled one was that he had done more to fool the dragonspawn than any High Septon before him – and there had been many before him.

However, there was a madness in the wrinkled one’s eyes. He had always hated the Targaryens and their sister-marrying, and his hatred had only grown with the years. Septon Selwyn had thought he would abandon their plans to destroy the Crown when Prince Rhaegar had married a foreign bride. Yet, his marriage only seemed to anger the wrinkled one more.

“We have been given grave news, Your Holiness,” Selwyn said cautiously. “Her Grace the Queen Serenity has woken from her Sleep.”

Selwyn should have expected the wine goblet to hit next to his head, but he was still surprised that it missed him so narrowly. As the wrinkled one raged across the solar, Selwyn reminded himself that he and Septon Hightower had advised His Holiness to make his move while the King was occupied with his wife’s illness.

His Holiness had laughed in their face and claimed that the Moon bitch was no true threat and that they would take their time to slowly ruin the Targaryens.

“We will begin the final course of action!” the wrinkled one stated, “Call our council together, Selwyn. We must make preparations. Send a raven to Oldtown and remind those bastards in the Citadel that we make the decisions and they follow.”

Septon Selwyn bowed deeply as the wrinkled one wobbled from his solar and then rolled his eyes. His Holiness was truly a fool. He acted without caution, without reason, and was a terrible planner. Without he, Hightower, and the council, His Holiness would certainly have already ruined their plans. After all, the creation of the new Faith Militant was an idiotic idea. It was a direct violation between the Crown and the Faith, and if anyone found out what they were doing, all of their lives would be forfeit. Nonetheless, His Holiness had secured them weapons, and training and they were hiding underneath the deepest tower of the Sept.

If they were going to take the Crown and all the Seven to rule over this impious island, then they would have to dispose of the wrinkled one. He was not a man to rally the people or inspire love from the righteous. He was ugly, mean, and though he was the wrinkled one, he could have esily been the fat one or the smelly one.

It was no matter. For now, the wrinkled one would think he was in charge. When the time came, they would get rid of him and _he_ would be High Septon. His Holiness the loved one sounds like an excellent name for the former Septon Selwyn, he thinks as he sends off two ravens – one due South and one due East.

* * *

 

Her children are excited to see her, especially young Rhaenys who has lived her whole life without her mother. It’s been a three short years, but to Rhaenys it is the whole world.

Viserys is becoming a man, and he tells his good-sister all about his love of swordsmanship and reading. Rhaegon has started attending meetings with his father, who is determined his son learn how to be King before he must become King. Daenerys is as pure as the winter snow and as shy as a dove. Rhaena looks just like her mother, with her father’s eyes, and she has her father’s warm disposition, and Rhaenys reminds Serenity of her own mother.

Her husband cries when she wakes, and then tells her he loves her in High Lunarian. Serenity is amazed that he’s learned her language, and is astonished to hear of what she caused with her Sleep. Westeros is no longer than land she first arrived in.

It seems as though the moment that she wakes, they are pulled by carriage to the warmth of her new retreat. Her husband takes her and the children to Summerhall to celebrate her wakening, as well as her nameday. They pile into the carriage, Serenity and Selenity on one side, Rhaegar on the other, and all of their children with them. Rhaenys is wrapped around her mother completely, and refuses to leave her arms. Rhaena and Rhaegon are playing with their toy dragons together, Rhaena from her grandmother’s lap and Rhaegon from Rhaegar’s side; Daenerys is dozing, with her head in Rhaegar’s lap and Viserys is reading from his place next to his sister Their family of eight is perhaps too big for this carriage but they refuse to separate, and so they spend the whole ride to Summerhall close together – as a family should be.

The dragons mostly fly above them, as all but Viserys’ and Daenerys’ dragons, Meraxes and Stormbringer are big enough to fly long distances. Syrax, Rhaenys’ dragon is nearing three and half years old and is larger than the carriage they sit in. Balerion is growing quickly, and has even hotter flames than Viserion. Serenity finds she misses the comforts of her family’s dragons.

When they finally reach Summerhall, the children are sent off with Serena, Selena, and Seraphina and Rhaegar cannot wait to get to their rooms to touch her. In a display of barbarism, he slings his wife over his shoulder, and smiles as she giggles the entire way to their marriage bed.

He is giving that day, and every day after it. He put his tongue across her lower lips with such ferocity, that Serenity pulls on her husband’s braided hair in pleasure. When he exposes himself so that they can become one, Serenity realizes that she has been celibate for three years but perhaps her husband has not.

He swears that he was faithful, because he knew how much it would hurt her if he wasn’t. “I prayed you would wake every night, and that I would look at no other woman if the Seven would just give you back to me.”

When he presses into her, Rhaegar groans so loudly that Serenity thinks the children will hear. He drops his forehead into the pillow next to her as he is fully seated within her. She is wet, and tight, as tight as the day they had first lain together.

Serenity, who is usually a shy lover, is passionate and encourages her husband at every thrust. To her it was only yesterday that she had last seen him, for time meant nothing in the void. Yet in this moment, she felt closer to her husband than she had since the birth of Prince Rhaegon.

She loved Rhaegar Targaryen, and she had no qualms with showing it.

* * *

 

Their children ride the three dragons and they learn to keep their beasts tamed and Rhaegar commissions dozens of portraits of his family at Summerhall. His favorite is one of Serenity holding the hands of both of their daughters, and he hangs a portrait as tall as him of he, his wife and their children posing together in the garden with the smallest of their dragons at their feet. He is celebrating his life now. Serenity is awake, his land is prosperous, and he has an heir with two sisters to wife. Summerhall is a dream. His children are all happy and healthy, and his wife is just so.

He is amazed by how wonderful of a mother his wife is. He has known that she was a remarkable woman, but he never realized how much the children relied on her until he was forced to be a parent with only a governess on his side.

When he finally retires from reading messages sent by the Hand, Rhaegar finds Daenerys, Rhaena, and Rhaenys playing in his solar. They know they are not supposed to be there without permission, and before he can reprimand them he finds Serenity smiling from the other side of the room as the girls dig through their mother’s gowns.

They are all dressed up in Serenity’s jewels, with too-big-tiaras on their heads and rouge on their lips and Rhaegar has to stop himself from laughing when he sees Rhaena strutting around the room in a gown that is so big she falls flat on her face. Serenity helps her up and the girls continue to play, with their stuffed dragons following them around aimlessly.

Serenity smiles softly as she smooths her hand over her belly in a way that Rhaegar is familiar with and terror strikes within his heart. Serenity has made that movement with each of their children and Rhaegar knows this means that his wife must suspect or know that she is with child.

She has only been awake for six turns, and it is not enough. Rhaegar is petrified that the Long Sleep was only the first of many and the two have their first real quarrel since before Rhaenys was born.

“You must drink it. You _must_ ,” he insists, holding the moon tea out for her to take and Serenity is ignited in anger.

“I must do _nothing_!” she shouts.

“You will do as your husband and King commands!” Rhaegar shouts back and as soon as he says it he regrets it. During the Sleep he had learned more about his wife’s home and so he knew how her matriarchal society worked and how thoughtless that command was. Serenity rarely went against him unless it was something she felt strongly about.

Before she can respond he apologizes and takes back what he said, and Serenity forgives him the entire night in their marriage bed. If she was not with child before, she certainly is now.

That morning he finally tells her the thing he has been hiding, and Serenity is furious, for more reasons than he can count. This child means that they must act quickly against the Faith and the Citadel, because Rhaegar will not allow her to go into another Long Sleep. She must either decline tonics from Grand Maester Pycelle, or she must hide her pregnancy until the child is born. Either of those actions will tip their hands, and will alert the Faith that the Crown knows their plans.

“We could have been more careful!” she laments, “Had you told me this could cause such a devastating flaw in your plans we may have avoided this.” She sighs, “It is no matter. I would not give this babe up for anything. But you cannot continue to keep me in the dark about these things, Rhaegar. Even if we are not equal in rights we are still partners in this marriage. I thought you understood.”

The guilt is gnawing far deeper than before, now. Because he _does_ understand. Serenity’s people are not like his own. They follow the strength of women, not of men, and he has demanded time and time again that his wife go against her people’s traditions to follow his own. Even if he has not asked directly, he has expected her to bend the knee. He knows it is unfair, that his wife, who was meant to reign over the eight as a Queen in her own right without the help of a man, must now play no part in the governing of his kingdom.

In the ten years that they have been married, four of her guardians had been on his Small Council. He had entrusted her mother to lord over Valyria, and yet Serenity had never asked him for the chance to rule. Not once had she whinged about the loss of her own Crown. She had bent the knee to his father, and then bent again to his wish to overthrow his father, knowing exactly what it would cost her if anyone found out about their schemes.

And he had taken and taken from her. She had produced an heir, and a sister to wife. Yet he was so entranced by the dragon that he demanded a third head, that his wife continue to produce issue. And she had nearly died to give the dragon the third head. But she never complained. He remembers seeing her in that bed, blood everywhere, her eyes glazed and unfocused but still screaming in agony. She begged him, not for her own life but the child that nearly killed her mother. And when she held Rhaenys in her arms she looked to him with such devotion in her eyes, with such pride, with such eagerness to see him pleased – _“Rhaenys – third dragon?_ ” she had choked and those had been her last words for three years.

He is ashamed of who he was before.

His wife deserved more than him, and more than the crown he had given her.

When he had crowned her Queen Consort, he hadn’t known just how offensive it was. But he knew now, and he knows that things must change. The Westerosi will never willingly respect Serenity as a Queen Regent, but Rhaegar will subdue them if it means that his wife gains the acknowledgement she deserves. His wife was good, righteous, and she was born to reign, but if Rhaegar gives Serenity one half of his crown, then he must prepare to be questioned at every turn.

Sometimes, he thinks, maybe he should be.

* * *

 

The silent children are easy to control if he provides them with the basic comforts of life. A child with a full belly is a child who is willing to listen at the doors of his masters. Across Westeros, Varys has a network of Little Birds who are willing to spy for him as long as he gives them scraps of bread and a place to sleep. They are loyal to their stomachs, but none of his Birds has ever betrayed him for someone else’s food and golden dragons.

He has a blind spot however. He had never managed to keep a reliable Little Bird consistently within Casterly Rock. He has plenty in Lannisport, and an abundance across the Westerlands, but he has no reliable spy within the Lannister ancestral seat.

Tywin Lannister is both cunning and ambitious, and he knows exactly how Varys operates. He had been the Hand of the King, and he knew that Varys gathered information, so he screens the help within his castle closely. Varys had bought information from servants, but they did not know what they heard, and could be easily swayed to stay loyal to their Lord.

Until now. He has finally planted a spy within Tywin Lannister’s midst. Someone that _no one_ would ever suspect.

Tyrion Lannister, the imp of Casterly Rock, the worthless son of Tywin Lannister, has agreed to send information about his father in exchange for claiming a position on the Small Council in Valyria. He will receive a lordship, a plot of land with a resource he can exploit, and Tywin Lannister agrees to inform on his Lord Father.

Oh how Varys rejoices. It took very little on his part. Tywin and Cersei Lannister had done most of the work themselves. They had hated him from the moment he was born, cursed his very existence.

So when Varys whispers in Tyrion’s ears that Tywin Lannister is not his father at all, but that he is the bastard son of Mad King Aerys and Joanna Lannister, Tyrion is willing to accept what he hears. He has the dragon dreams, and when the King’s seal says he will legitimize his dwarf brother and give him a place to call his own, Tyrion is willing to turn on the family that had long ago turned on him.

* * *

 

They make the decision to hide that Serenity is with child again. She has successfully done it before, when she carried Rhaena, and she knows she can do it again. To hide their progeny this time, Serenity, Selenity, Daenerys, and Serenity’s handmaidens have begun to sew more of the traditional dresses that his wife has always worn. The waist of these gowns falls under her breasts, and with the mountains of heavy, thin fabric, they can conceal a new child until she is at least six turns gone. They sew these dresses with more space for her swelling breast so they are not so obviously swollen, and Daenerys plots to widen her good-sister’s crown to hide the weight she will gain in her face.

They have a plan. But Serenity will still need to be sent away before she births. Gowns, crowns, and wider bust dresses cannot hide a child forever.

These plans are expedited when a raven from Ned Stark frantically calls them home. Rhaegar reads the missive but is unsure what it means.

_Your Grace,_

_I have received frightening news from my brother Brandon about things that are occurring north of the Wall. Please return soon, for I fear that danger is coming._

It is short, and to the point, yet it gives no information at all. Serenity points out that Ned is not one for the dramatics, and so he orders the servants to pack the carriage, and gather the children. They will expediate their journey back to King’s Landing. He considers leaving Serenity at Summerhall, with their daughters but the moment he considers it Serenity levels him with a look that brings ice into his heart.

They have not had total peace since their argument a fortnight prior. He had always known Serenity wanted more than a meaningless crown, but she had never expressed outright desire to rule until that day. He cannot get her words out of his head, but he is terrified to bend a knee to his wife.

That must wait though, because Ned Stark is nothing if not a loyal servant of the Crown and the Realm, and if he is afraid, then something is truly wrong, and someone may yet burn.

* * *

 

**289.**

After spending two moons with her daughter, good-son and their family, Queen Selenity must return to Valyria. Serenity cries when her mother leaves, after all she was only ten and three when she left her mother’s arms to marry Rhaegar, and it has been almost ten years since she had truly seen her mother. The children loved her, and had been spending time with her since she arrived during the Sleep.

Selenity remembers how deeply she missed her only daughter when she arrives in the newly finished palace across the sea. Soon, her family will join her in Valyria so that they may restore it to its former glory. It must be the home to the Lunarians and so Selenity has the palace rebuilt in the likeness of the one on the Moon and when the fountains glow and the prayer room is complete, they leave the Moon with the Palace intact so that anyone who sees it will know that the Queen of the Moon still rules from there.

The land has been purified, as much as Queen Selenity is able given that she has far less control over the Silver Crystal than she did before. It has a new mistress now and answers Selenity only if she prays hard. She has healed the land as much as she can, and sealed the cracks in the earth that led to the fires that cursed the peninsula.

The Lunarians are talented at making inhospitable places home, and have been since Queen Serene II, who expanded the Lunarian Empire across all nine planets in the solar system. The Lunarians have cleansed the earth so it can grow crops, and have restored the buildings that could be fixed. Few survived the Doom in condition that could allow them to be repaired. But the Valyrian people are descendants of her own race, and the Lunarians are able to replicate the fallen buildings so that the grandeur remains. The only problem is that the sky and sea are still red with the blood of dragons. Queen Selenity knows that this is something that can fix if the Neptunians, who have long held powers over the sea, begin to colonize the Second Valyrian Freehold.

The towers are high, and open on the top, made from white Lunarian stone. They are built with the strength to resist dragon fire and hold the weight of a dragon the size of Balerion the Black Dread. They have rebuilt almost half of the charred remains of the city of Valyria in under two years. In two more, with more Lunarian works and Mercurian builders, they will have finished fixing the damage done to the Valyrian peninsula.

She knows what is coming now that the Targaryens have laid claim to Valyria. She knows that her good-son’s decision to take back the land from whence he came will have repercussions. But she cannot fault him. Serenity and Rhaegar are young monarchs. Her blessed daughter became Queen at only fourteen – she was barely a woman, in all senses. Now she is a woman grown, who has gained the love of the people and the loyalty of armies. Selenity knows that more love from Westeros breeds more disdain from Essos. They do not wish to see Westeros so United, and with the sprawling armies of the Silver Millennium behind them.

But, this place will one day belong to the blood of her children, and she commands that the smallfolk search every building up and down for the key to Princess Mars’s vision. They had been searching temples until they realized that the Valyrians had long worshipped knowledge, rather than gods. Therefore, they had begun to look for a place that could be the key to knowledge.

“My Queen!” a knight calls, “We found the library!”

Selenity sits up and follows her guards towards the library where Lunarian servants are cataloging every item they see.

“It’s still pristine,” Selenity marvels, “And it looks like all the books are in order.”

The knight nods sharply, “They are. At the back of the library there is a wall with scrolls stuck in it.”

Selenity pauses, “Have you checked to see what they are?”

“Aye, Your Grace,” says one of her advisors, “They’re prophecies.”

Selenity narrows her eyes, “They are a dangerous thing. Men are led astray by promises of gold and riches.” But is she not also, she thinks, as they’ve taken this land because Mars knows it must happen? She consoles herself by recalling that Mars’ visions come from Selene herself, and that she is the one Oracle for their people. Her words are truth.

“Read them all,” Selenity declares, “Gather the nobles and have them prepare to read every scroll in this hall. We must know the Valyrians, for they are our sisters.”

The knight nods, bows, and then rushes away to do her bidding. Queen Selenity VI will make Valyria a home that her daughter and good-son can use when they land to conquer as Aegon did three hundred years before. And they _will_ land, with fire and blood.

* * *

 

When they return to the Red Keep Serenity’s belly has just begun to swell and Ned Stark is in a panic.

His brother has been sending him ravens and he has become concerned.

There are odd reports from the North about things above the Wall. With Westeros’ growth, Rhaegar had proposed that the North begin to take in wildlings who were suddenly willing to pledge their allegiance to the Starks, and to the Crown. Their population has grown exponentially in the last three years, with wildlings fleeing the snow beyond the wall for the milder temperatures south of the Wall and the colonization of the Martians. The population boom has not been a stressor on Northern resources. In fact, the wildlings have become an invaluable source of labor and have come with skills that allow them to trade meats, pelts, and crafts in Winterfell and White Harbour. Many of the wildlings have moved to work under the Mercurians, building the artificial land that would allow Westeros to support their population growth without draining resources.

The wildlings have been coming in droves, and countless wildlings have brought back stories that Brandon Stark has told his brother.

“But White Walkers are a _myth_ ,” Rhaegar said in shocked horror, “Surely they are making these things up to have a better reason to come south?”

“Doubtful, Your Grace,” Ned said, “Brandon has been taking them in with open arms and they’ve no reason to lie,” he paused, “And Princesses Pluto and Saturn have sent messages that support their claims.”

“But…” Rhaegar is horrified.

“It makes sense,” Serenity pointed out, “Your own lore says the Wall was built because a great evil lived North of the Wall. And you must’ve seen what the stone drawings under Dragonstone depict.”

Both her husband, Ned and the Hand look at her blankly.

Serenity raises her silver brow in shock, “Tell me you’ve both seen the drawings at least below the Red Keep.”

“Near the Dragon heads?” Rhaegar questions. He’d been there only recently, showing Rheagon his past. He’d never seen anything relating to White Walkers there.

Serenity leads them past the dragon heads and towards a wall that Rhaegar is terrified to find out moves.

“It’s in this passage,” Serenity says, “These are similar to the ones at Dragonstone but they’re far smaller.”

Rhaegar examines the murals and what he sees haunts him. There are men dying on the ground, slaughtered by beings that he can only describe as undead, guided by mummified white creatures who walk through snow. Even in the heat of the summer, it chills him to the core.

Ned reacts first, “If these White Walkers are real then we can’t just let them overrun the wall. The Night’s Watch has been under siege for years – since before your father passed, and their numbers are dwindling.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Qarlton asks, “If the reports from your brother and our people beyond the wall are true, _nothing_ can stop them from overrunning us.”

Rhaegar looks thoughtful and is about to speak when Serenity cuts in, “That’s not true.”

All heads turn to her and she beckons them forward to a small scene at the far end of the corridor. “Look here,” Serenity says, as Rhaegar helps her bend carefully close to the ground. “I missed it the first time that I looked at these but when I came the second time I noticed that these were covered,” she points to pieces of chipped red paint on the ground, “Someone covered this section of the murals, and if you look closely…”

Rhaegar, Ned, and Qarlton all lean in towards a small piece of the mural in which a man is attacking a mummified white corpse with bright blue eyes. It’s so faint that Rhaegar almost misses it but when he sees it he gasps.

“That’s…”

“Dragonglass,” Serenity confirms, and then points to another small soldier, wielding a blade, “And that’s Valyrian steel.”

“Is this wildfire?” asks Rhaegar, looking closely at the green flames in the background.

Serenity nods, with a small smirk.

“So there is a way to defeat them?” Qarlton asks.

“Aye,” confirmed Ned, “There is a way to defeat them.”

“Not that it helps us,” pointed out Qarlton, “We don’t have enough Valyrian steel for an army.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Serenity says after a pause, “My mother wrote me not a day ago to tell me that they’ve figured out how to open the ancient library. Maybe one of the texts will have a solution. We don’t know what Valyrian steel is. It might be similar to our own sword making.”

“We’ll have to speak to her,” Rhaegar says, “If we are going to fight against the Others we need to start creating the blades we need now.”

“The timing could not be worse,” Varys laments, “Now we are fighting a war on two fronts. My Little Birds tell me that the Faith Militant is on the move.”

“Then we will fight a war on two fronts,” Rhaegar says with confidence that he doesn’t truly have. “The Faith and the Citadel can wait. When we destroy the army of the dead, we will turn our eye to the Sept.”

When they leave the dragon heads, Rhaegar does two things. First, he calls upon Jaime Lannister to become the Master of War, and second, he calls his children together.

* * *

 

Rhaegar commands the Jovians back to Westeros and within a turn he will have an army of half a million trained swords. The Jovians still on their home planet are making plans to expedite their departure and arrive on Westeros within another turn. He turns to his people and asks that any able bodied man, willing to fight to gain the entire continent, and keep Westeros free volunteer in his army. He’s amazed when, across Westeros, one million men immediately join forced and begin to move North.

Wildling scouts have said that the wights are gathering at an alarmingly fast pace, which Rhaegar believes could only mean that the White Walkers are approaching. The temperature in the North is dropping, quickly, and the Martians have begun to travel to Winterfell to temper steel and create Valyrian swords. All of the miners available have begun to pull dragonglass from Dragonstone, and fifteen ships a day are moving between the island and the mainland to bring the materials necessary to create dragonglass weapons. The smiths are working day and night to create the weapons, and in a twist of events, the wildlings have begun to fashion arrowheads of dragonglass in the thousands. Known for hunting, the wildlings nearly rival the Martians with a bow, and Rhaegar plans to use this to his advantage.

Viserys is adamant that he fly a dragon into battle but Rhaegar denies him. Viserion is their largest dragon, and their oldest, and although he is bonded with Rhaegon, he allows Rhaegar to ride him. It is not as natural as riding his own dragon, Balerion, but it is not difficult. Viserion is a docile dragon, but he is fiercely protective of his family. Especially Rhaegon.

Viserys is persistent, though, explaining that he and Marexes have fully bonded, and he knows how to safely ride him. They are too young he argues, and they have not had enough time or practice with their dragons to use them effectively in battle. Viserys grudgingly accepts this, and Rhaegar reminds him that his brother has promised to protect his good-sister, nieces, nephew, and sister in Dragonstone, where they will be safe.

He then reminds Viserys that he is not to mention this until Serenity is already on the ship and leaving towards the seat of Targaryen power. He cannot risk his wife, and he cannot risk his children.

“You cannot ride Rhaegon’s dragon,” Rhaegar explains, “But I can.”

He has great plans. Princess Saturn had come to him in the early hours of the morning with important information.

“There is a man Beyond the Wall,” she says evenly, her violet eyes impetuous and her short black hair unmoving in the air, “He calls himself the Three Eyed Raven.”

Rhaegar does not know what that means but when Saturn explains it, Rhaegar is dumbfounded.

“He is a skinchanger, then?

“They call them _wargs_ ,” Saturn corrects, “But there is something you should know. He is in passion of your ancestral sword.”

Rhaegar does a double take, “He has Blackfyre?”

Saturn shakes her head, “Dark Sister.”

“But that means-”

“Yes, Your Grace. The Three Eyed Raven is the man once known as Bryden Rivers.”

“That’s not possible,” Rhaegar whispers, “He is long dead.”

Saturn shrugs, and it is the lest terrifying movement he has ever seen the Silent Soldier make, “He wants you to have it.”

Rhaegar sees no blade in Saturn’s hands and so he replies, “Where is it?”

“North of the Wall,” Saturn supplies, “buried beneath a Heart Tree. You must retrieve it yourself.”

“I cannot spare the time to travel beyond the Wall, Princess Saturn. There are preparations to be made.”

“There are,” Saturn grants, “Princesses Jupiter and Uranus can make them while you travel.”

Rhaegar squints because he feels as though the Soldier is pushing him, and he is King. No one tells him what to do.

But she continues, “You will bring Serenity and the children to Winterfell. You must treat with Brandon Stark. The North does not enjoy your rule, and does not enjoy the prosperous summer that has come. You must make sure that the North is loyal.”

“Ned is here,” Rhaegar says, “They would never disobey while a Northerner is on the Small Council.”

“They may not,” Saturn says, “But Brandon is still under the impression that his pleas for help were purposefully ignored. You must make sure he knows that is not the case. In person.”

Rhaegar twitches but a week later, under the watchful eye of Saturn and the Kingsguard, they are taking a ship to White Harbour where they will ride by carriage towards Winterfell. It takes them a fortnight to arrive, as they take plenty of breaks for Serenity to stretch her legs and back.

When they do, Rhaegar is met by the dour face of Brandon Stark.

“Your Grace,” the Northman says, “Welcome to Winterfell.”

Rhaegar tries to smile but he knows he is not wanted here, “Thank you for taking us at this time, Lord Stark.”

Serenity can sense the tension in the air, and so can all the children but she smiles brightly and says, “We’ve come baring grain, produce, and wine from King’s Landing, to help you prepare for the next winter,” she turns to Serena, “Would you be so kind as to hand them over to those in charge, Serena.”

The pretty handmaiden nods and disappears to retrieve the gifts that the King and Queen have come with.

This is when Serenity notices that Daenerys is staring hard at a young boy with red-brown curls and a sharp jaw. Serenity wants to laugh because Daenerys looks so struck that her mouth and eyes are open wide.

“These are your children, Lord Stark?” Serenity asks smiling widely at the youngest, an infant in Lady Catelyn’s arms. When Serenity holds her arms out, Catelyn dutifully hands the child over, and his eyes stare straight into Serenity’s.

“Yes, Your Grace. My eldest, Robert. This is Sansa and Lyarra. And you are holding Rickon, Your Grace.”

Serenity is glowing and Catelyn’s heart is seizing because everyone knows the Queen is _strange_.

“I give many blessings to this child,” Serenity says fondly, “Young Rickon, you will grow to be great.” And she hands the boy back to his mother who is stunned because it seems as though the Queen has just _blessed_ her youngest child.

Rhaegar clears his throat, “I would like to speak to you, Lord Stark.”

Princess Rhaeye and Ned follow the pair and although it takes some time, Brandon eventually accepts that Rhaegar had never received any letters that North was in so much danger.

“The army is being pulled together,” Rhaegar says, “The Jovians are returning and Princess Mars tells me that the Martians have taken over every armory in the North to make Valyrian steel.”

“I don’t understand,” says Brandon, “They told me that that is what they were doing, even showed me the blades. _How_?”

Rhaegar smiles, “We recently learned that Valyrian steel uses a method of sword making that my wife’s people have long practiced. It requires hotter flames, and materials that are not available in Westeros,” he turns, “Princess Mars, how goes the creation of the blades and the arrows.”

Princess Mars stands even straighter than before, her onyx hair falling to her waist, “The smiths assure me that they have all of our smallfolk creating the arrowheads, and all of the priestesses tempering the steel. The Mercurians have also started making more swords. I have been assured that we will have at least one hundred thousand swords by the end of the turn.”

“So many?” Brandon questions, “How? It would take many years to create that number of blades.”

“We have the steel already prepared, and Mercurian advancements mean that we just have to pour the liquid steel into molds and then finish the blade. It is a simple process for the less grand blades.”

“One hundred thousand will not be enough,” Ned says finally, “The Jovians are a force of at least a million in total.”

Brandon is boggled by these numbers. The Jovian army is the same population as the entirety of the North.

“Aye,” Rhaegar says, “But Princess Jupiter says they have their own weapons and shields.” The group pause for a moment until Rhaegar speaks again, “I would like to speak to Lord Stark alone.”

When the rest leave they are staring at each other.

“I know what Northerners think of my family,” Rhaegar says, “And although we have never tried to slight your house, I know that many of the kings before me ignored the North and the problems that you alone face. I will not be that monarch,” Rhaegar insists, “I want unity. And peace.”

Brandon seems more open to it than he had been before, “I agree, Your Grace. I am… sorry that I thought ill of you before.”

Rhaegar shrugs, “Tyrion Lannister will get his due.”

Brandon’s eyes darken, “Never trust a Lannister.”

Rhaegar silently agrees.

Two days later, Rhaegar leaves his wife and children at Winterfell to venture past the wall and retrieve Dark Sister. Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Barristan Selmy accompany him to Castle Black where Rhaegar finally meets his great-great uncle, Aemon. The man is blind, with a shrunken head and no teeth but Rhaegar is delighted to meet the man who had once sent him many letters. Rhaegar tells Aemon all about his children, and Aemon seems to tear up when Rhaegar whispers into his ear that his wife is with child again.

The following morning, they venture out into the Land of Always Winter towards the Heart Tree. Saturn had assured him it was quite close to the wall, and it only takes about three hours of searching to find the tree. The three dig with blades heated by flame until they hear a clang and from the frozen ground Rhaegar pulls the lost blade, Dark Sister.

* * *

 

She barely recognizes herself in the mirror. Shorter hair, wider hips and lips that are a dusty rose. She’s finally escaped his bed, the disgusting oaf.

He is nothing, has never been anything. She is the one who rules, the one who controls, the one who is everything. She is meant to be Queen. She is mean to rule. No one can stop her.

And she thinks of that as she sends for the Tears of Lys.

* * *

 

After their trip to the North, the Targaryens head south via ship back to King’s Landing. The Queen is quite swollen now but Daenerys’ plan to widen her crown and her flowing dresses hide the babe quite well. Rhaegar and Serenity’s intimacy is perhaps the only reason that he can tell she is expecting.

Only the most important people know of the coming child, not even the entire Kingsguard. Aside from their mission past the wall, Ser Arthur has exclusively protected the Queen and children, as he is Rhaegar’s closest friend and confidant.

War is imminent, and they need a plan to defeat the Others and stop the Long Night.

“We must lead them to the wall, Your Grace,” Jaime says to the Small Council and the Queen’s Council, “We cannot defeat them beyond the wall.”

Jon Arryn heartily disagrees, “If they get past the wall, we’re all in for the seven hells.”

“Yes,” Jaime agrees, “But it will be easier for us to keep the wall than to keep terrain we’ve never fought on. And most of our army has never been past the wall. They have no idea how cold it will be.”

“The Queen’s people are prepared for the cold,” Princess Venus says, “We are immune to the most extreme temperatures you have on this planet.”

“Regardless,” Varys cuts in, “We need to look at this with several contingency plans.”

“And what would you suggest?” Jon asks drily.

Baelish looks at Princess Jupiter who leans forward, “We need to tier our attack. Our best bet is to send the Plutonians and the Saturnalians beyond the wall to cut down as many of the wights as possible. They aren’t the main threat, but if we can get rid of them we can focus on the Walkers.”

Rhaegar squints. He hadn’t known that Princess Jupiter had an eye for war, which is foolish of him, because he remembers Serenity telling him that the Jovians had overthrown their royal family a dozen times in the last hundred years, and the newest family was the one Princess Jupiter was the head of.

“Then we station our bows on the wall. From there, they have the advantage of a bird’s view. They can spot when our people are returning from cutting down the wights, allow them through the gates, and then send off as many arrows as possible before the Walkers reach the wall. Once they reach us, we allow them into the keep and destroy them there.”

“You can’t honestly be suggesting that we let them across the wall!” shouts Baelish in horror.

“We have to,” Jaime says, catching on to what Princess Jupiter is saying, “If they break down the gates then we have no way of stopping any other Walkers from crossing into the North. If we leave it open, and kill as many as we can before they get through the gate, and cut them down before they can get far into Castle Black, then we have a chance of defeating them.”

“If we follow this plan,” Rhaegar says, “How many men will we lose?”

Princess Jupiter sighs, “It depends. Princess Mars and I are banking on the fact that the Martians have the ability to send arrows thrice the distance of your kind, and that if we use some of the wildfire…”

“Wildfire?” asks Jaime, his face going ash, “We’re using wildfire?”

“Yes,” Rhaegar confirms, “We have thousands of cachets of it left over from my father’s reign. It destroys the Walkers, and if we are smart about it, we may be able to use it by attaching it to the arrows.”

“If we do that, Your Grace,” Jon says, “Then we will destroy most of the resources that are beyond the Wall.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rhaegar says with finality, “The only thing it will destroy is timber and stone, and we have enough of that below the wall to be concerned about it here. How many?” he demands of Princess Jupiter again.

“If we stick to our plan, the wildfire works in our favor… and you allow us to help you, then we may lose no more than two hundred thousand men.”

“Two hundred thousand?” Baelish nearly shrieks, “For the plan you are suggesting, that is a large number!”

“It’s not,” Princess Mars says, “Because we are including the wildlings that have yet to cross the wall in that number. Reports have been coming in say that they’ve been engaging the wights and burning their dead as they move south.”

“And what of us, Your Grace?” Princess Venus asks, “Where will you ask us to be?”

“What could a woman do in this matter?” questions Jaime, not unkindly.

Princess Venus smiles before holding up a small wand and yelling, “ _Venus Star Power!”_ and before them they see Princess Venus in clothes that would make even a Dornish whore blush.

“Put those away!” Varys gasps at her bare legs.

“Did you think that we were considered Serenity’s guardians for no reason?” Princess Mars questioned, “We were given gifts, ones that Serenity carries thrice fold.”

“She won’t be going,” Rhaegar grinds out, “And neither will the four of you.”

“The Jovians would be far more likely to listen to me than to him,” Princess Jupiter points out while glancing at Jaime.

He looks mildly affronted but says nothing.

“I know,” Rhaegar acknowledges, “But if any of the states in Essos, pirates, or slavers find out what we are doing they will use this time of weakness to attack. Even the Ironborn are a danger. We’ve been watching them closely in case they try to rebel again, but they are still a risk. You need to stay with the rest of my family, in case we are invaded.”

“They won’t,” Ned says, “The Tullys have a close eye on them.”

“We have a plan, then,” Princess Jupiter says, only slightly irritated that she would be sitting out the excitement.

“We have a plan,” Rhaegar agrees.

* * *

 

Serenity is only three turns from birth when Rhaegar announces it is time for the last armies to move to the North. They’ve spent night and day preparing supplies, resources, and men to face the threat beyond the all and Serenity is worried that facing them will end in disaster.

The migration is done now, and the planets are abandoned. Rhaegar is gracious enough to allow Queen Selenity to visit with their family while the war occurs so Serenity may have some comforts. Serenity is overjoyed when her mother arrives from Valyria because it means her children will have a grandparent, and she can spend more time with her husband.

When Rhaegar is done making love to her he tells her he loves her with an odd inflection in his voice, Serenity becomes suspicious.

“What?” she demands, “What have you done?”

Rhaegar thinks this is as good a time as any, and so he informs Serenity that he intends to lead his men into battle.

Serenity is shocked and horrified. She knows her husband is an excellent swordsman, but this is a mistake.

“Rhaegon is not ready to be King,” she cries, “If you leave and never return I will be broken and you will never meet our child.”

Rhaegar know that he has upset her, and tries to make it better by informing her that he plans on riding Viserion and spraying the wights and Walkers with dragonfire.

Serenity cries even harder and continues to cry until she is exhausted.

“Then what shall I name them if you leave me here alone?” she whispers, her face swollen from her tears, and her throat hoarse from her cries.

“I think if it’s a boy we should name him Aegon.”

“Absolutely not,” Serenity chokes, “What about Jaehaerys?”

“Mmm,” Rhaegar agrees, “I think that is a sound choice.”

“And for a girl?”

“Serenity.”

“Yes?” she questions.

“No,” Rhaegar says, “We have named all of our children for my family and none for yours. If we have another princess, we will name her Serenity.”

Their next daughter cannot be Selene, but Rhaegar clearly doesn’t understand that the naming tradition within her family comes with conditions. But the sentiment counts for something, and so the tears begin again, and Serenity tells her husband how glad she is that she has him, even if it’s only for now.

* * *

 

It is still summer, but the temperature is dropping rapidly as they move north. They’ve set up camp and Rhaegar and Tywin Lannister are in the midst of a heated debate.

Brandon Stark had previously indicated that they had been reporting about the issues beyond the wall since Aerys had been King. Tywin Lannister had kept yet another secret, and this one was dangerous.

“I dismissed them because I thought there was no such thing!”

“It is not your choice what information you choose to relay to the Small Council, and to me!” Rhaegar snarls, “I am your King, or perhaps you have forgotten while my father went mad on the throne. _You answer to me_!” Rhaegar takes a deep breath, “Had you warned us of this sooner, they would not be as prepared for us. They are moving south because they are ready to fight. You have brought a war to our borders!”

Tywin _is_ ashamed about that, but Rhaegar doesn’t see it. He’s known he made a mistake for many years. When the missives continued to report the strange happenings above the Wall he didn’t say anything in fear that Rhaegar would question why no one had been told sooner. Then he had deluded himself into thinking the reports had to be wrong. After all, what King could raise an army of the dead?

Tywin drops to his knees and he apologizes. Rhaegar is a gracious King and reminds him that if he has kept anymore secrets he must tell them now or Rhaegar will have his head if he hears of more.

Tywin hesitates and it is enough for Rhaegar to press him for answers. This is when Tywin admits that he has heard that there is an unknown man across the narrow sea that has heard of the Summer Queen and has been buying up information. Then he admits that he’s known about this man since before Rhaena was born, but the inquiries became more frequent after the Long Sleep. Tywin has sat on this information for almost six years. Rhaegar controls his temper, and allows Tywin to leave his presence unharmed.

They are on the eve of battle and Rhaegar misses his wife, but he knows he may never see her again.

* * *

 

Viserys and Rheagon are practicing dragon riding with Daenerys’s dragon, Stormbringer, who’s finally big enough to ride. Rhaenys is clambering over the beach with her own dragon, Syrax in search of shells and Rhaena is playing with Daenerys when they hear a low keening noise.

Princess Venus is rushing to Serenity who is hunched over in pain. They bring her inside, with the children following anxiously.

“Isn’t it early?” Daenerys asks her brother, already knowing his answer. After all, they had seen this before.

Viserys looks shaken, but replies in the affirmative. He’s seen his good-sister birth before and he knows that the last two have been treacherous. Rhaenys had almost killed her, and Viserys thinks his good-sister may die on this day while his brother is leagues away at the wall. He’s ten and three now, so he knows how dangerous birthings are.

After what happened to his own mother, Serenity is smart enough to bring several Mercurian healers to Dragonstone, but the fortress is mostly barren. It has little in the way of supplies for a birth and so the Princess of Mercury must make due with that she has.

Viserys promised his brother he would protect his good-sister and take care of her and their family while his brother was away, so he leads his sister, nephew, and nieces away and into the arms of their governess, who captures their attention long enough for Viserys to sneak back to his good-sister’s chambers.

Within only two hours, there is a high pitched wail from the room and Viserys opens the door to see his new niece or nephew. It’s too soon though, and he hears another agonized cry, and he realizes that his good-sister has just made him an uncle twice over, and his brother’s good-mother is crying tears of joy as she holds a new child.

Serenity smiles radiantly as her children are placed in her arms, and Viserys reminds himself that he has Daenerys and needs to stop blushing when he sees his good-sister’s beauty.

“Prince Jaehaerys,” Serenity announces, kissing his clawed feet. She turns to her new daughter, “Princess Jaehaerya.”

The moment that Jaehaerya is in her arms she knows that this child is not the next Selene. She loves her, as she loves all her children, but she will not inherit the Silver Crystal, and so she cannot be Serenity.

Viserys takes Princess Jaehaerya into his arms and is amazed when she blinks and her eyes become catlike – dragonlike – before they return to a vibrant shade of violet.

Somehow, his good-sister has birthed five dragons – true dragons. It both excites and terrifies him. His ancestors had been dragons because of their abilities, their affinity. His nieces and nephews were something else entirely. He’s watched them grow and they are… not entirely human. Princess Mercury theorized that the strength of the Silver Crystal had affected all of Serenity’s progeny. They had lived in her body with its power, had absorbed it, and so their blood was stronger than the blood of their ancestors.

His good-sister had restored House Targaryen with her womb, but has built their Kingdom with her wisdom and heart.

He loved her more than anyone in the world except maybe Daenerys.

* * *

 

Across Westeros and farther North than most Westerosi had ever travelled, the Saturnalians and Plutonians are retreating from their settlements beyond the wall swiftly, and are signaling to the Martians that they have succeeded in their task. They move down the wall to ready themselves for battle. The wildlings have abandoned their old homes beyond the wall and are in the North, escaped from the Walkers. Everything is going according to plan.

“We have left few wights,” the Princess of Pluto announces, “and we burned all of our men and women who fell to their swords.”

The Westerosi are skeptical about women soldiers, and are shocked to find that the Jovian army, called the Amazons, is entirely female, and a third of the Martians are young maidens no older than ten and four. The Jovians are wearing revealing leather skirts with their breasts free, swords and shields strapped to their backs, and legs covered in tall boots. The Martians are clothed in firey red robes with armor strapped to their chests, and their hair in tight plaits. They are representing their homes on the battlefield for a land they have only just settled with pride.

The Martians are stationed on the Wall, and from his position with Viserion Rhaegar can see that the White Walkers are approaching. Their army is only slightly larger than expected – about one hundred thousand strong, a fraction of their own forces - but what shocks him is that they have a _wight Dragon_.

“Fuck!” yells Jaime from below, “Take it down! Take it down!” he screams at the archers. This is was not something that had foreseen, and Rhaegar is sure that this will ruin all of their plans.

“We can’t let it breach the Wall!” Ned shouts from his position with the archers.

At this moment, Rhaegar is both horrified and relieved to see his wife’s guardians appear in a crash landing just beyond the wall. He knows he ordered them to stay put, and he is suddenly plagued by the thought that his wife and children are unprotected. As soon as they are standing, Princesses, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus also appear, and they are ready for battle. They are lined up together like a seasoned military force, and Rhaegar remembers that these nine women are more than just Princesses, and defenders of his wife – they are reincarnations of goddesses. They are still as death, and with their weapons in hand they are the most intimidating force he has seen. Sailor Mercury has a harp of water in her hands; Sailor Venus holds a poisoned blade in one hand and a chain of molten metal in the other; Sailor Mars holds a bow and arrow of fire without burning; Sailor Jupiter has a rod conducting lightening from the skies to her body and holds a set of rods in her hands that he knows become a single baton; Sailor Saturn holds a staff that is already red with blood; Sailor Uranus wields a jewel encrusted sword that is directing the wind against their enemies; Sailor Neptune is holding a mirror that is melting the snow around her; and Sailor Pluto is holding a giant key that Rhaegar knows is not symbolic at all. They stand proud, and Rhaegar suddenly wonders if they have seen total war before.

Sailor Jupiter is the first to act, she runs full speed ahead towards the Wall and the Westerosi are stunned when she high jumps over the Wall to take command of the Amazons. This is the back up plan, Rhaegar knows. If the Walkers breach the Wall, they will be faced with all out battle, and they will lose the advantage of the Wall.

Sailors Mars and Venus join the archers on top of the Wall and Mercury joins the men who are stationed inside of Castle Black and begins using her ice powers to fortify the Wall.

When the wight dragonfire hits the wall, no one is surprised how much devastation it causes. The Martians are light on their feet, and when they see the dragon coming abandon their positions to move down the wall and continue to shoot arrows of dragonglass and wildfire.

Rhaegar commands Viserion to fly and while the wight-dragon is distracted he unleashes dragonfire from the skies. Sailor Venus brings him backup and calls on a meteor shower of molten hot rocks to destroy the enemies below. The Outers are still beyond the wall and Pluto is unleashing death itself on the beasts. Saturn has elected to achieve hand-to-hand combat and is using her staff to slice the remaining wights and white walkers in half.

Rhaegar can hear when the Wall is finally breached, and he watches as the Outer Princesses make a sudden, hasty retreat at an inhuman speed to jump across the wall. Venus and Mars are still directing the archers to destroy as many as they can before reaching the wall. Mars is holding a bow of fire and when she opens her eyes, she releases a hundred arrows of fire that burn all who touch them.

The only good news is that there are more ways to kill the White Walkers than expected. They had prepared Valyrian steel and dragonglass but had no way to prove that they worked until they had used them on wights. The Wildfire, and apparently Lunarian magic were also weaknesses. Viserion’s dragonfire was also deadly, and in the frozen terrain there was fire everywhere.

South of the Wall, Sailor Jupiter has commanded the Jovian army, at one million strong. They are beating their chests, snarling, and they are ready to fight the Walkers.

“Amazons!” shrieks Sailor Jupiter in Lunarian much to the amazement of the Westerosi men, “We Die With Honor!”

“We Die With Pride!” they shout as one as the wall falls under dragon fire.

“FOR DEATH!” they all holler as Sailor Jupiter sends her signature attack – Thunder Dragon- straight at their enemies, and they begin to stampede. Her people are skilled in war, but the Walkers are hard to kill. That is the reason they needed the Wall. Their aerial assault cannot take place where they have men so Jupiter directs the Amazons to keep the enemy bottle necked.

Sailor Mercury gathers the Mercurian ice mages to build up the other sections of the wall.

“We cannot allow them to breach the wall in more than one place. The Amazons have them at bay, but if we start dividing our forces they may be able to get by.”

Her orders come too late though, and the wight-dragon annihilates a portion of the wall directly in where the Mercurians planned to reinforce. The Martians did not see the dragon coming, and Sailor Mars watches as a hundred of her archers are felled by dragonfire.

She cannot mourn them, and instead calls for the rest of the archers to cluster and drop the wildfire in the gaps in the wall. If they wall is down, they will stop as many from crossing as possible.

The Westerosi army, led by Jaime Lannister and Ser Barristan finally engage in battle at the second hole in the wall. The Small Council had agreed that this was their last option. Anyone killed could be reanimated, and become a wight. Lunarian armor stood up against the weapons of the Walkers, because it was made with the same technique that created the famed tempered Valyrian steel, but the Westerosi had only been able to get the barest cover with breastplates and chain male.

If they are to defeat the walkers the wall cannot be breached again. They had only planned for a single breach of the wall, not two, and certainly not three.

Rhaegar must face the Night King himself and defeat the wight-dragon himself.

* * *

 

Jaime Lannister’s men are tiring. He can tell because they are falling faster than expected to the Walkers. This is when he locks eyes with Sailor Mars and nods his head sharply. Mars sends a flaming arrow far south of the wall and when it burns he knows that the second league of Martian archers and Amazon horse riders have gotten the message.

They are to kill anyone who is injured beyond healing. Or, more accurately, they are to make sure that they dead stay dead. The Martians are stationed high in the trees and have been directed to send arrows at White Walkers to insure they are unable to fully invade the North. If even a single walker passes into the Seven Kingdoms, then the battle is lost.

Jaime rallies his men, and calls for them to remember what these beasts will do if they are able to invade their land. The Westerosi are renewed and begin to fight in earnest.

King Rhaegar is upon the dragon and that is when the battle is decided.

Viserion unleashes the hottest dragonfire yet and the wight-dragon meets its fire with his own. The two Kings are in a stalemate until from below, Sailor Saturn uses all of her might to jump high in the sky and send her glaive straight through the belly of the beast. The wight-dragon howls in pain and when she rips her weapon from its wound she throws a cachet of wildfire straight at the wound and braces herself for the dead fall she is now in.

Rhaegar sees she is not slowing down and before the wildfire fully explodes he nosedives with Viserion to catch Saturn, just in time to see the Night King abandoning his dragon with a great leap from the skies.

The Jovians have successfully dwindled down the numbers of White Walkers, and they are finally picking off enough that Sailor Pluto calls on the Plutonians and Saturnalians to carry out the last phase of their backup plan. If they are to truly defeat the White Walkers, and claim the entire continent they must destroy every single White Walker. The Plutonians and Saturnalians begin to creep up behind the last several thousand walkers that are still beyond the Wall and they launch a surprise attack.

They are placing pressure on the Walkers from all around and that is when the moral of the people is finally strong enough to make the final push.

Rhaegar jumps from his dragon and commands him to burn the dead. Viserion flies off to complete this task and Rhaegar pulls his weapon from his belt.

Dark Sister, the sword that conquered Westeros would conquer the Land of Always Winter. Rhaegar faces the Night King and baldly says, “There is no surrender. You are defeated, and you will die.”

The Night King laughs and gloatingly responds, “If I die, another will take my place.”

“Not if they all die with you!” Rhaegar lunges and their blades clash so hard that the sound hurts his ears. He wields his shield to stop the Night King’s blade. He cannot break his promise to Serenity. He cannot die before his child is born. He cannot lose his kingdom to this beast.

In that moment, he feels a warmth tingle of his skin, and hears a voice whisper in his ear, “I give you my grace, and the grace of Selene.”

Rhaegar’s next jab is so strong it sends the Night King back several feet. They are both surprised, but rather than allow the Walker to recover, Rhaegar fights him even harder, finally slashing so hard he removes one of the King’s arms. The Night King is not deterred and continues to fight him viciously and manages to kick Rhaegar hard in the chest before he can block it with his shield. Rhaegar falls back but stands up quickly and throws a dagger straight into the Night King’s eye. While the Night King tries to remove the blade, Rhaegar charges with all his might at his enemy before running him straight through with Dark Sister and pulling so hard he cuts the demon king clear in half.

The Walkers are shocked but continue fighting, knowing they are surrounded, until Viserion flies overhead and unleashes dragonfire on the last remaining pocket of Walkers.

Hesitantly, Rhaegar locks eyes with Sailor Jupiter who looks at him and then Ned Stark. Have they won? The Amazons begin to cheer, and the rest join them.

They’ve defeated the White Walkers but there is still much to do.

Sailor Mars orders all the White Walkers and the dead to be gathered, stacked, and burnt. Under orders from Rhaegar, Viserion destroys the rest of the wall. Already, with the White Walkers gone, the air is warmer, and the clouds in the sky disappear.

When they send scouts up north they find all the settlements of the White Walkers. There are none left, but there is a castle of ice with a clutch of sixteen dragon eggs. How the Night King kept these eggs, or even how he obtained them, Rhaegar does not know but he won’t question it. When his eggs are tucked safely away in a trunk, they begin the long march back to King’s Landing.

It is two days later when word reaches Dragonstone that the battle is won, and the Royal family can return to the Red Keep. Still exhausted from the birth of Jaehaerys and Jaehaerya, Serena, Selena, and Seraphina help the children aboard the ship and the nurse-maids carry the newborns.

The King is on route to King’s Landing, and the people are celebrating their win. The people beg for a tourney, a festival, and a day of rest. The Westerosi have conquered their whole continent, and they have defeated the White Walkers in combat. There will be no Long Night. King Rhaegar Targaryen, First of his name has faced what he believes is the greatest enemy that would threaten his reign.

It is a glorious day.

But it is not over.

* * *

 

**290.**

In the aftermath of war, Rheagar is more acutely aware of the fact that though he has an heir, and his family grows, he is not immortal and one day his son will need to marry to have his own heir. Serenity and Rhaegar have come to the conclusion that they must wed their children off, but there is hesitation. Serenity wants no part in the traditional wedding customs of her husband’s people, but Rhaegar is less resolved against sister-marrying. They have had this argument every year since Rhaegar was born but they had always come to an impasse. And at no time had the discourse become this passionate, or his wife become so resolute.

“If we marry Rhaegon to a house without Valyrian blood their children may lose the ability to ride dragons,” he points out.

“Rhaegon _is_ a dragon,” Serenity pleads earnestly, “You saw him when he came from my womb. He is more dragon than all of his ancestors, Rhaegar.”

Rhaegar isn’t offended by the implication that his son his more of a dragon than he because he knows that in some sense, it is true. He may be the blood of the dragon, but his children were born as dragons.

“I have consulted Princess Mercury,” Serenity insists, “And we believe that by introducing the Lunarian blood back into your line we have ensured that the Targaryens will be dragonriders for ages to come.”

“We cannot know for sure,” says Rhaegar. He is mildly annoyed that his wife has been speaking about these affairs with her guardians and without him present, “You have yet to try to ride any of the dragons, and neither have any of your guardians.”

“But they let me touch them, and they have protected me before.”

“Aye, but that may be because they know you are their riders’ mother.”

“It may,” Serenity concedes, “But we cannot continue this practice, Rhaegar. It is dangerous, and it is not our way.”

“It is the Valyrian way,” Rhaegar says. His annoyance has grown to true anger now, because although he knows that his wife has trouble with the practice, he is the product of that practice and is perfectly healthy. He knows that his words are harsh, that he is excluding his wife from his people by separating her from her Valyrian children.

“It is not!” Serenity cries passionately, “The Valyrian way was once the Lunarian way and we have never practiced sister-fucking!”

That stuns Rhaegar into silence. In all of their years of marriage, Serenity has not once cursed. Not when she was at death’s door, not during the pain of childbirth, not in their marriage bed. Yet this is something that has driven her to such high passions that she refuses to see reason.

They both breathe heavily and refuse to meet each other’s eyes as they sit at opposite ends of the table.

“I…” Serenity begins, “I won’t apologize for feeling this way, Rhaegar. I have bent to many things over the years we have been together. I have left behind my culture and practices and embraced yours and never once have I complained.”

It’s true, he knows. Even after the fight they had at Summerhall, Serenity had still not complained about the loss of her Crown, or the loss of the traditions of her people. Rhaegar had learned Lunarian, but aside from that and Serenity refusal to wear any color but the white that signified her family’s status, she had adopted the ways of his people completely.

“I have not complained,” Serenity repeats, eyes fierce but sparkling with unshed tears, “And I have never asked for you to give me anything but love and respect. And for the most part, you have given it,” she says, “But I have given more, and this is something I will not give.”

These words hurt Rheagar more than he wants to admit because he knows it’s true. He had come to the same conclusion during the Long Sleep. Her people had aided against the dead, her guardians had protected his children, and her love had brought more peace to the island than had been seen since King Jaehaerys. He tried to be a better husband, and he thinks he has done better, but he knows that Serenity has still given more to this marriage than he ever has.

It strikes him, brutally, that Rhaella had felt the same way about his father. He had never abused Serenity the way that Aerys had gone after Rhaella. He loves her, loves her truly, madly, and deeply. But he has shunned her, forgotten her, and left her alone at King’s Landing without a single friend. Before Queen Selenity had arrived, she hadn’t had contact with her mother for many years. She had trained their children to hide the crescents between their brows at his bequest because he did not think that the people would take kindly to a half foreign future King.

She had given up practicing the religious rites of her people, and most importantly, she had given up the near immortality of her people to marry him. If she had stayed on the Moon, married the other suitor, she would have lived at least a thousand years, and now she would not age any older than he. During their wedding ceremony, Serenity had tied her life to him. When Rhaegar drew his last breath, Serenity would also draw hers. She would grow old, wrinkle, and become a wise woman, something that those who came before her had never experienced.

In that moment, Rhaegar makes two decisions that he knows he should have made long ago. First, he will give his wife a Crown, just as she has long deserved, as she was born with. Second, he will bend the knee to Serenity and he will end the practice of sister-marrying, starting with his brother Viserys.

* * *

 

“I do love this place,” Serenity admits as they step from their rooms to meet with the Rose of Highgarden. This could be the first wedding that they arrange and Serenity is nothing if not excited.

Margaery Tyrell is but seven years old and Serenity can already tell she is a beauty. From the starry-eyed look her good-brother gives, she assumes he agrees. Margery has copper brown locks that end with a loose spiral, and wide, doe like eyes that are as expressive as Serenity knows her own once were. She is a beautiful girl, and from the way she treats Rhaenys so sweetly, Serenity knows she is just as radiant within as she is outside. She is eager to meet the new children, and when she holds them in her arms she grins so widely that Serenity fears her heart may melt.

She is the perfect bride for Viserys.

“She is so small, You Grace!” she whispers with a lisp. Her two front teeth are missing, and she couldn’t be any more adorable than she is in that moment.

Serenity had never wanted to betroth their children like they were property, but when they retire to their rooms after the children all meet for the first time, she thinks this may be the right decision. She has to curb her laughter while Viserys speaks a mile a minute. He can’t stop talking about the Rose of Highgarden, and Rhaegar has to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at how smitten his fourteen-year-old brother is over a girl who is still years from flowering.

“And if we were to arrange a match?” Serenity asks, “Would that please you, Viserys? Be honest. You are allowed to say no.”

Viserys looks at her in horror at the suggestion of denying the betrothal agreement, “Margaery deserves to be a Princess, sister. How- I _have_ to wed her!”

Rhaegar snorts and Serenity steps on his foot to shut him up. Her good-brother is almost a man, but in many ways, he is still just a boy, a boy who might be in love.

“Well, then it’s a good thing your brother and I are here to have you wedded, is it not?”

Viserys dreams of Margaery all night long, and is eager to escort her around the next day while their families make arrangements. Olenna Tyrella is just as formidable as Rhaegar remembers her. It’s a good thing too, since her son Mace is about as much of an oaf as a man can be.

“There are many boys who are closer to my granddaughter’s age,” Olenna points out, “And she will not flower for several years yet.”

Rhaegar inwardly rolls his eyes, “Aye, Viserys is seven years older than Margery. But he is a Prince.” As much posturing as she is making, Rhaegar knows that Olenna wants Margery to marry Viserys as much as he does. It would give the Tyrells more power, and they had not been able to offer a Lord for one of the Queen’s guardians to marry a decade earlier. If Olenna has her way, she would have every one of her grandchildren married into his house. Rheagar knows this won’t happen, if only the reason that as young as Loras Tyrell is, he clearly has no interest in the fairer sex.

“Then what would you name as the dowry?”

Rhaegar smiles and leans back.

Olenna’s eyes turn to slits. She won’t make a scene to the king, but if he asks for the impossible she will tell him the impossible is simply not possible.

“I ask no wealth,” Rhaegar begins and Olenna’s eye twitches, “I ask something else instead.”

“Name your price, Your Grace,” Mace says eagerly, “Would you like agricultural products, or-?”

Olenna gives her son a sharp look and he falls sheepishly silent.

Serenity smiles widely, “No. We would ask something else of you. Something that will raise your house, Lady Tyrell. You are, of course, born to the Redwynes?”

“That’s correct,” she says sharply, “But I have no desire to see the Tyrells replaced as Wardens of the South.”

“Oh no,” Serenity cuts in, “We have no desire to take that position from your husband’s family. The Tyrells have been ever so loyal to my husband’s family, and I believe you should continue to be rewarded.”

This is when Rhaegar begins, “I offer Margery a true crown, not as a Princess of the Blood, but as Princess Consort to a Prince who will inherit land.”

Olenna raises her brow, “You mean to make Prince Viserys your heir?”

“No,” Rhaegar corrects, “My son Rhaegon will inherit the Iron Throne. But I have plans to make Rhaegon an Emperor, not a King.”

The words sink in, and Olenna is suddenly very glad that she did not dismiss Viserys Targaryen as the husband of her prettiest granddaughter. “We are most interested, Your Grace,” Olenna says, containing her eagerness completely.

“My good-mother, the Queen Selenity has taken control of Valyria, and has been restoring it to its former glory. We desire for Viserys to be the Prince of Valyria. He will rule over all of the Valyrian peninsula, and if you so choose, Margery will rule beside him.”

Mace opens his mouth but winces, and Serenity thinks Olenna may have stepped on his foot or jabbed him in the side because he stays quiet.

“And what conditions does this rely on?”

Yes, Olenna Tyrell is a sagacious woman.

“We can only give a loyal house control over Valyria, after all, it is the home of my ancestors,” Rhaegar begins, “We know you are a loyal house, but some of your neighbors… are not.”

Olenna understands this immediately, but Mace seems confused.

“And what house do you speak of, Your Grace?”

Serenity smiles very widely, and in her sweetest voice, she replies, “Lady Tyrell, how would you desire for House Redwyne to become the rulers of Oldtown?”

Olenna’s lips spread and mirror Serenity’s. This Moon Princess is as shrewd as she is beautiful, “Why, Your Grace, I believe I would desire it _very_ much.” Her good-daughter may be a Hightower, but she has no love for their family. They are ruthless, dangerous, and as ambitious at the Lannisters. Their lordship over the cultural capital of the Seven Kingdoms made them haughty, and Olenna detested haughtiness.

When they leave Highgarden, Viserys is excited to marry Margery Tyrell when she flowers, and Rhaegon and Serenity have the means and support from the Wardens of the South to destroy house Hightower and the Citadel for good.

* * *

 

They must be quick, quiet, and swift. If they are to dispose of their enemies within the Faith and the Citadel, it must be done in one fell swoop. Neither can warn the other, and neither can be prepared for the attack. Rhaegar and Serenity are at King’s Landing, and Rhaegar will lead the war against the Faith.

It is dangerous, they know, for many devout members of the Faith may rise against them. But if they can prove that the Faith is acting against the will of the people, and against their own Gods, then they will have the will of the smallfolk at least on their side.

Rhaegar knows he cannot send a military force into the Sept without angering the people, and making a martyr of the High Septon.

So instead, they leak the letters from the High Septon to Grand Maester Pycelle. This, Venus reasons, gives them the reasonable suspicion to arrest and try every Septon and Septa in the Great Sept across King’s Landing. It also gives them a reason to storm the Citadel, and arrest every Maester, Septon and Septa in the Realm. They do not know the extent to their treason. To prevent any from escaping, Rhaegar sends small groups of knights, all trusted members of the Lunarian army, to each castle in the realm. It takes preparation, preparation that takes weeks. To keep the nobles from unrest he provides a Mercurian healer in the place of each Maester. The only Maester who is left untouched is Rhaegar’s great-great uncle, Aemon Targaryen who resides at Castle Black.

The nobles cannot be angered, or Balerion may burn more men before the day is done.

The letters stolen from the Sept are printed in the morning newspaper, and outrage flies across King’s Landing. Before the Faith Militant can rise to protect the Sept, Serenity’s guardians, the Kingsguard, and a contingent of Jovian warriors are outside of the Sept, proclaiming the arrest of every Septon and Septa in the region.

The smallfolk are surprisingly supportive. They _love_ Serenity. She is the Summer Queen, the one who brought Summer, the Healer of the Sick, the Mother of Westeros. In fact, the smallfolk are so supportive of the arrest of the conspirators, that they gather outside of the Sept and the Citadel to yell obscenities, and throw stones through the windows.

When Princess Venus steps out of the entrance to the Sept, the High Septon’s hands roped together with her chain around him, the smallfolk cheer, and a riot begins. The Kingsguard subdue them as best as they can, but the smallfolk outnumber all else and soon men, women, and children are rushing at the Sept to destroy those who would kill the Queen.

Until they hear a voice in the air.

“My lovely friends,” she says, so sweetly that some of the children begin to cry, “I thank you so dearly for caring about myself and my children. But I am afraid that you will get hurt if you continue to stampede each other. I would be devastated if any one of you were hurt because of me.”

They see her after they hear her. She is standing on a tower, Rhaegar beside her, and in a moment of sheer genius, she holds her infant son in her arms. How could anyone want to hurt the Queen, the smallfolk wonder, when she is the one who ended Winter, gave them food to eat, and healed them of their wounds? Who would hurt a simple mother?

She isn’t sure where it begins but the people fall to their knees, submitting to her, and allowing the Kingsguard and the Jovians to take every single man and woman within the Sept to trial.

A group of a dozen Targaryen loyalists search the Sept from top to bottom, and take every scrap of paper that could be evidence to the Red Keep. When it is done, the smallfolk begin ripping the Sept apart block by block until it is a pile of gleaming white marble.

It takes only days to review every bit of information, and witnesses begin to spill forward rapidly. Men, women, and children, who had unknowingly been part of the plot to kill his family are confessing that they think that they contributed in some way. A farmer travels all the way to his throne room to confess that he grows the toxic weed that was key to the Long Sleep so it can be sold to make moon tea, and tearfully promises he will burn it all, and every other crop he has if it means that no one will ever poison the Queen again. He, and all the others are pardoned, and thanked for their honesty and loyalty to the Crown. They are not truly guilty of crimes, only smallfolk who were used unfairly.

The Faith is not so lucky. Only a week from their arrest, Balerion, Viserion, and Rhaelle burn every single one of the conspirators alive. They are told either they will bend the knee and confess or burn. The leader of the group claims they did nothing, but Rhaegar shoots this down dispassionately.

“The Faith Militant was disbanded. You had no right to recreate it, and all members of it will be executed. It is a direct violation of the agreement we made. You have broken the treaty between the Faith and the Crown. And you have aided the High Septon in his goal to murder my wife.”

That is when Venus presents the High Septon, her gold chain around him glowing. “The Chain of Aphrodite ensures you may only speak the truth. If you try to lie, you will be punished.”

But the High Septon is haughty, and he does try to lie. When he does, the chains tighten, glow, and he screams as they grow hotter and hotter.

“As I said before,” Venus says as she forces him to submit, “you may only speak the truth!”

The Septon breaks within minutes, and confesses to far more crimes than they had been aware of. The plot against the Targaryen family goes back further than they had expected.

The Grand Maester had been poisoning the Targeryen children since Viserys I had been king, but their methods of poison had changed. They had been careful in the beginning, poisoning the family with water that was laced with a hallucinogen. The nobles and smallfolk had passed it off as madness within some members of their dynasty when in fact, they were going insane from the poisons. It had probably aided in the Dance of Dragons.

All because the Targaryens had continued to wed brother to sister, the Faith schemed to destroy the Iron Throne and rule Westeros themselves. Their efforts had grown stronger under King Aerys, who was mad even when the Faith had abandoned poisoning water for poisoning the women and children.

They had stopped when Aerys became so unstable that he would have noticed something was wrong, but when he died, just as Rhaegar had thought, the poisoning started back up again. That was when Rhaella died, and Queen Serenity nearly died.

“They are not like us!” the High Septon snarled, “At all! It is unnatural how long they live. She- their kind is sinful! The seven made us to die! So we will do it for them.”

The smallfolk cheered when he burned.

* * *

When the Maesters are dragged to King’s Landing, Rheagar expects there may be some anger from the nobility, but they are met with only a small amount of resistance, and only from the houses that had sent a number of sons to become Maesters, such as houses Tarly and Hightower. They’ve evidence that the Hightowers have committed treason though, after the Septon spoke under Venus’s chain. With help from the Redwynes and the Tyrells, the Starry Sept is demolished the same way that the Sept of Baelor had been, and the Citadel is emptied of anything that could be useful and sent to King’s Landing.

That is when they find out there was more to this plot than they could have imagined.

The Citadel is almost entirely free of wrong doing. Most have no knowledge of the plot to ruin the Targaryen family, and those who do know admit that they were forced into submission by the Faith.

Grand Maester Pycelle sings the truth for all to hear. He had no true desire to end the Targaryens, and the only reason that the Faith has kept him under their thumb was threatening to frame him to take all the blame. In fact, that is half of how the Faith has kept the Citadel under their control. The other is that they have taken young women from their families and forced them to become Septas in King’s Landing under His Holiness. The girls have no idea that they are being used for leverage, but the Faith had assured the maesters that their family members would be killed if they did not comply.

Pyrcelle tearfully admits that he had been trying to fool the Faith for years. First, he had tried to give a fake poison to Rhaella, but when Viserys was born the Faith threatened to kill his younger sister. Daenerys was born out of his reach, and was safe, or so he told the Faith. Then he had tried to give Serenity another potion that counteracted the effects of the poison. He had been unsuccessful because there was no way to test out of the potion truly worked, and by the time he had perfected it before Rhaena was born, the Queen had already given birth in near secret.

Then he says that by then he noticed that Princesses Mercury and Mars were watching him closely, and he had confirmed this when Seraphina had seduced him. By this point, he started keeping the papers sent by the Faith and those in the know at the Citadel instead of burning them in hopes Seraphina would find them in his solar and report back to the King. At least this way, they would know that there was deception, but they would know that it was not him acting alone but on orders.

Mercury was already wary of him, and there was no way for him to sneak the counter potion into Her Grace’s wine without alerting their attention. If he stopped the potion he was currently giving the Queen he would entirely top his hand, and they might kill him before he could explain that there was a greater scheme. Then the Faith would kill his sister, and they might even try to kill him. If another Targaryen babe survived, he knew the faith would kill him, and his sister, just the way that they had done to the others who defied the Faith. Then they would replace him with a maester who truly sought to murder the children.

So, he gave Her Grace a low dose of the poison, high enough that if it failed to work he could convince the Faith it was an anomaly, and low enough that he wouldn’t kill mother and child. Then he made sure to not allow the child to suckle from her breast in case the milk was still toxic. But he had made a grave mistake. He didn’t understand Lunarian physiology, and although the children were born with the Silver Crystal healing them, Serenity took the brunt of the poison. Then she had fallen into the Long Sleep.

Rhaegar’s anger flared as he heard the story from Pycelle, and then he demanded more answers. Who was the Citadel in contact with? How did he put the poison in the Queen’s food?

Pycelle admits he has few other answers, because he does not reside at the Citadel. Venus unchains Pycelle and they interrogate the Conclave of the Citadel.

What they hear puts Princess Mars ill at ease.

The Citadel has been sending messages East, but they do not know to whom. Septon Selwyn, who has stayed alive to interrogate knows only a fraction more.

“There is a man,” he says, “in the East, who is willing to pay for information about the Queen, and his payment was giving us the weapons we needed to take the Crown.”

This is troubling indeed, because it means that somehow, some man from the East, perhaps the same man who Tywin Lannister had hidden from their views, was interested enough in Serenity that he was willing to ruin her Kingdom.

Now Rhaegar must decide what should be done about Grand Maester Pycelle. He had tried to protect Rhaella, and Serenity, and even their children. But he was a coward, and the smallfolk would be in a rage if they found out that Grand Maester Pycelle had poisoned the Queen, and caused the Long Sleep and did not receive punishment. But by the risks he was willing to take, Rhaegar also knows that Pycelle had made the decision to poison the Queen so that another maester would not doing it more thoroughly. It is clear from the way he cries so earnestly under the Chain of Aphrodite he had no desire to hurt the Crown. Yet he cannot go unpunished.

The Hand recommends exile, but Tyrion, the newest member of the Small Council, but also the King’s half-brother disagrees. “Your Grace, would it not be best to… Send him to take the Black?” It amazes him how well Tyrion has taken to politics, and to his new name.

This makes Rhaegar pause. “Could you not summon Uncle Aemon to take his place as Grand Maester and sentence Pycelle to the North?”

The thought is tempting. His great-great uncle Aemon is a truly good man, wise, and according to his mother, very kind. He cared only about the health and safety of the people.

“The vows are for life,” Ned Stark points out, “Wouldn’t summoning Maester Aemon set a precedent that the Black does not need to be permanent?”

“Aye,” says Qarlton, “It could be a problem. But, in light of what’s happened the people may not question it if His Grace desires only for his uncle to treat Her Grace.”

In the end, Pycelle is sent to take the Black. There is no Wall, anymore, but there are points across the Land Beyond that are vulnerable to pirates. Rhaegar had previously sent half the men of the Night’s Watch on a new mission – to build settlements for those who decide to live in the Northern tip of Westeros. The other half were stationed across the islands and the coast of Westeros to keep watch for pirates. Pycelle would join those in the Northern tip, where it was still cold, and he would work as a maester to keep the common folk safe from disease.

Maesters are not meant to treat smallfolk, so taking the Black is still a true punishment, even without the fear of manning the wall and freezing to death.

Maester Aemon, his great-great uncle is sent for, and it takes persuasion, but eventually Maester Aemon agrees to be the Grand Maester of King’s Landing.

That very night, Serenity receives a raven that Princess Pluto, the virgin who guards the gates of time is with child.

* * *

Serenity is just twenty-five the first time an assassin makes a true attempt on a Targeryen. She is enjoying the sunshine at Dragonstone while her children play. Rhaenys has just celebrated her nameday, and they are all playing games in the sand and jumping in and out of the ocean. They are making a mess in the sand, but her infant twins are asleep, both full and sated from her breast. She is lying on a chaise that the servants have carried into the sand and there is a large tent hiding most of the sun so that the babies can rest in peace.

The hatchling dragons are hopping around with the children, trying to catch fish in the shallow water, and Serenity feels so at peace that she falls into the same deep slumber that her children are entrenched in. Selena, Serena and Seraphina are watching the children, but her guardians are with their own families. They have deserved a rest after fighting the Night King and absolving the Faith, and Serenity feels safe in their home at Dragonstone. This is the ancestral seat of her husband. Their people here are loyal to the Crown. They perhaps love her even more than they love Rheagar.

She wakes from her nap, happy and rested and sees that the children have tired of playing. They are napping now too. She gives a kiss to each of her infant’s brows, and smooths her dress as she stands to wake her children so they can retire for supper. Her white dress is falling to pool around her, and Serenity leans over to wake Rhaenna from her slumber.

The first thing she hears is screaming from Ser Barristan who is rushing towards the beach at lightning speed followed by Ser Arthur. She turns to where they are pointing just fast enough to see that an arrow is heading straight towards her sweet good-sister, Daenerys.

She does not think before she moves. She made a promise to Queen Rhaella that she would love Dany and Viserys like they were her own. _They are her own_.

She is the only mother Daenerys Targaryen has ever known.

When Rhaegar arrives on the back of Balerion in a panic to arrive Dragonstone within hours, he has to see his weeping sister who mourns that she has killed both of her mothers. His heart is frozen with fear and he is about to question her when the Mercurian healer calms his panic, and sooths that Queen Serenity will be just fine.

“It is no worry, Your Grace. She will not even have a scar. The arrow hit her leg. With the ointments I applied and the healing powers of the Silver Crystal, she should be fine when she wakes in the morning.”

That is when Rhaegar understands his father’s desire to see the world burn. The Targeryans had been both mad and great, and as Rhaegar sits upon Balerion’s saddle he sets out to destroy the thing that almost ruined his reason for happiness.

That night, perhaps knowing that Serenity would disapprove if she were awake, Rhaegar unleashes Balerion’s hottest dragonfire in town in a public execution.

This man speaks little Common Tongue, but from his tanned skin, the scar on his face and his accent, it is known he is an assassin from Meereen. Rhaegar makes the children watch, and in a moment of clarity, Viserys forces even young Rhaenys to watch as this assassin burns. Daenerys cannot stop crying, not in pity for the conspirator but for her good-sister. Rhaegon is stony faced, and Rhaenna is silent as she watches Balerion circle overhead.

Rhaegar pulls the last dragon egg from Rhaelle’s clutch, a white egg that has sprawling lattices of silver lines that mimic the most intricate lace and he steps into the flames.

“YOU WILL BURN!” he yells over the man’s pained shrieks, “YOU WILL BURN!”

From the ashes of an unknown man, Rhaegar Targaryen, bald and naked as the day he was born rises with a newly hatched Silverwing.

When Serenity wakes the following morning, it is to the purring of the most beautiful dragon she has ever seen. Similar to Stormbringer, Daenerys’ mount, this dragon is different. She is entirely white with the most beautiful veins of pure silver across her entire body with eyes as grey as the sky on a winter day. In truth, she looks similar to her own mother. This is her dragon.

Rheagar is holding her hand and kisses her deeply. He must tell his wife what he did, but he believes it is better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

When their eyes meet, Serenity knows that she and Rhaegar must confront the obvious. Someone wishes the Targeryans dead.

But the dragons have grown and the ships have been built. Rhaegar has long desired for them to cross the Narrow Sea. With hundreds of thousands of men, the King of the Seven Kingdoms has eyes to set out for Valyria and then all of Essos, dragons at his back. Rhaegar will retake what was his and what should be his by conquest, in fire and blood.

Serenity doesn’t like it. She has no desire to take Essos, but Rhaegar has no intention of allowing anyone or anything to hurt his wife again. It seems they have enemies at every corner, and yet they have never fallen to those who wish them harm.

First Aerys, then the Night King, then the Citadel and the Faith. Now they must destroy those who would work against them in Essos.

Rhaegar’s eyes smolder and Serenity is reminded again that her husband is a dragon, a man of fire. He opens his mouth and he makes a promise in High Lunarian that chills Serenity to the core.

“ _I will make the world for you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? Did you spot the easter eggs? Any idea what might happen next? Who knows? Maybe you'll guess correctly!


	4. Here With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this chapter! I worked hard to try to edit this as fast as possible. Chapter 5 (the final chapter) is completely written and just needs to udnergo revision! Hopefully chapter 5 should be uploaded in the next two weeks. If you enjoy this chapter, please leave a review!

* * *

**291.**

“More whispers come every day,” Varys informs the King, “Whoever the White Prince is, he does not keep his interest in Her Grace secret.”

“Maybe he’s a fool,” supplies Petyr Baelish.

“Or maybe he isn’t a fool at all,” Tyrion Lannister replies, “Maybe he wants us to know he’s interested. Maybe he wants _her_ to know he’s interested.”

It makes Rhaegar sick to hear that. “What is the nature of the information that he knows?” he demands, “Why is he so interested in my wife?”

Jaime Lannister and Jon Arryn share a pitying look before Jon says, “Your Grace, _you know why_.”

He does know, but he won’t admit what looks him in the eye. He won’t admit it because it infuriates him so much that the dragon is more alive now than it ever has been before. His wife is nothing short of a heavenly creature. Beautiful does not do her stunning looks justice. Ashara Dayne was said to be the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, surpassing both Lyanna Stark and Cersei Lannister and none of them compared to his wife. She was not the type that troubadours wrote poems about, but the kind that would make a King send a thousand ships to set his eyes upon her face. Queen Selenity was said to be so fair that it felt wrong for a man to look upon her visage, and Serenity is even more beautiful than her Queen mother.

The minstrels do sing songs about her, he knows. The smallfolk sing of finely spun threads of silver hair, wide eyes that shine as bright as the moon, red lips, and a crescent moon upon her brow. They whisper of the radiant light that shines from her very presence, the truly inhuman white glow that makes a halo around her. And they sing of how she heals and loves as brightly as she shines.

Aye, he knows why this White Prince seeks to know his wife. And he still can’t believe he did what he did.

“They’ve never even seen her!” he growls out, “They don’t know her.”

“That is true, Your Grace,” Jon speaks, “But men, women, and children have come from far and wide to view her during the Long Sleep and be healed. Something must have gotten back to him.”

“And we know nothing about him?” Princess Venus demands, “Nothing at all?”

Varys hesitates, “My friend in Pentos has heard he has the look of old Valyria. He has the white hair and the violet eyes.”

“That’s impossible,” Rhaegar grinds out, “My good-mother has complete control over Valyria. There is naught but Lunarians there and none of them would ever seek to dishonor my lady wife in this way.”

“Maybe he’s a Velaryon?” wonders Jaime.

“What would a Velaryon be doing across the Narrow Sea?” replies Petyr, “Only three houses escaped the doom. And they’re all here in Westeros.”

“It’s not the Celtigars either,” Tyrion says, “They’re as unwaveringly loyal as the Velaryons. The bannerman of the crownlands hold no ill will towards our family.”

“So then he is not Valyrian,” Rhaegar summarizes, “But has the look of old Valyria? Ho-” He snapped his mouth shut and spun towards Princess Venus, “That man!”

Venus looks at him blankly, “Which man?”

Rhaegar starts to pace in the chamber, “Serenity once told me that before her mother signed the betrothal to me that there was another-”

_“Oh my Goddess!”_ cries Princess Mars, “How could we be so stupid?”

Venus shares the look of horror, “How could he have gotten here? It’s not possible! We saw Nemesis just days ago. It’s following its normal path of orbit!”

“Who cares if it’s in orbit!” Princess Mercury near shouts, “They have shown time and time again that they think ahead!”

“What are you talking about?” Jaime demands on behalf of the Westerosi on the Council, “Who is this man and what is Nemesis?”

Princess Venus sags into her chair, “There is another planet in the Solar System,” she reveals, “It is called Nemesis – the Dark Moon. Long ago the Lunarians went too far. They colonized a New Moon, a Black Moon. It was a planet of death,” Venus says ominously, “There is no life, no resources, no happiness, and no peace. Those on Pluto tried to rescue them, bring them back, but all that enters never leaves. It’s a black hole of eternal death. They are not part of the Silver Millennium, because they have their own leaders, who can wield a destructive force called the Black Crystal. It is poison, as poison as the land they live on. They are cursed!”

Mars continues, “They are led by a man. His name is Prince Diamond. We have seen him only twice, first during peace talks and again during negotiation for Serenity’s hand. He is deathly pale, with pure white hair, lavender eyes, and…”

“And what?” demands Rhaegar hotly.

“He has a third eye,” Serenity whispers from the doorway.

They all turn in her direction, and Rhaegar is particularly surprised by her appearance. It’s not that his wife does not value affairs of the state, but that his wife usually concerns herself with overseeing ways to improve the life of the smallfolk rather than with military strategy and intelligence. She abhors violence, and can barely sit through a tourney without staring at the melee in abject horror.

“A third eye?” asks Jon in disgust, “How-”

“It is not what you think,” Serenity says as she glides towards the table. Rhaegar dutifully pulls out a chair and she thanks him before sitting where her husband sat before he had begun pacing, “He is not truly Lunarian anymore. His people have taken on new traits, and become something more, just as those who settled the other planets. But where we were connected by love, the Nemesi have shunned the light. They have a mark,” she says as she points to her forehead, “An inverted black crescent which turns into a cursed eye when he wills it.”

The way she speaks chills them all to the bone.

“The third eye is not to see,” says Princess Mars, “It controls. Anyone who looks into his eye will do his bidding.”

“And your mother was going to betroth you to this man?” Rhaegar demands angrily, “Why?”

Serenity looks at him with mourning in her eyes, “Before you and my good-mother contacted us it was our only option. Nemesis has the ability to move out of orbit. Their planet would have been safe for my people if Venus became unstable. It’s possible that we could have moved Nemesis to rotate around another star. I wanted to do what was best for them and it was the only option I had.” Her eyes well up with tears but she says nothing as she clutches her dress, “Even if I would have had to live with _him_.”

She says it so viciously that half the occupants of the room are taken aback. Her guardians are unsurprised, but Rhaegar, who has seen her spitting mad before is amazed at how bitter his wife is when mentioning this Prince Diamond. Petyr looks impassive, and Tyrion looks concerned by Rhaegar can see that behind his mismatched eyes, Tyrion is more than a bit worried about his good-sister.

“He is not a good man,” Serenity whispers, “And he would have brought us all nothing more than absolute pain.”

No one wants to respond to that, so Varys tries to move the conversation away from what is clearly making the Queen so unhappy she cannot look anyone in the eye.

“We can find him. I will ask my friend in Pentos to keep a look out.”

“They must be careful,” Princess Jupiter says, “The Black Moon Clan is formidable. If he is there then they are all there. The rest of the royal family is dangerous and even their smallfolk wield dark powers. We need to figure out if somehow he’s brought all of Nemesi to Essos.”

“He couldn’t possibly hide that many people,” Jaime says. It’s not an unreasonable belief. How could a Prince hide an entire planet of men, women, and children on another planet without being noticed? It’s unfathomable. Truthfully, Jaime looks fearful, and he has every reason to be.

“They are a small population. Less than a hundred thousand in total.” Princess Mercury says, “It would be easy to hide them all here. We just have to figure out where they could hide, if they are here.”

Rhaegar straightens his back, his hand upon Serenity’s shoulder as she sits in front of him, “Ser Jaime, we will move up our campaign to take Essos. The faster we take the continent the sooner my Queen will be safe and we can comb the continent for this White Prince. You are all dismissed.” He says it with such finality that even the Queesguard don’t think twice before filing out of the chamber neatly. Venus gives Serenity a small kiss on the cheek and pats her hand before leaving. She gives Rhaegar a look, and that’s when he knows that whatever reason that the Soldiers have for distrusting and hating the White Prince is a good one.

When they leave, Rhaegar moves to sit beside Serenity. She looks miserable, almost as sad as before Rhaena was born and Rhaegar’s heart is near frozen, “What did he do, my love, that has made you this unhappy?”

To his horror she is openly crying now, and Rhaegar becomes truly afraid. He moves his chair closer and pulls her into his lap where she weeps into his chest with her arms around his neck. She is wrapped entirely around him and in that moment his wife seems young and afraid.

“What did he do?” Rheagar repeats. He tries to say it patiently, but he is becoming angrier and angrier because something is seriously wrong and he needs to know if he has to turn the world to ash to protect her.

“He’s awful,” Serenity croaks, “He’s – the way he looked at me I thought there was a snake on my skin. We only met twice but the second time he said such odd things and he told me that I looked beautiful with my hair undone.”

Rhaegar’s eye twitches because he knows now that this Prince Diamond has done something indecent. His wife undoes her hair before she sleeps and no earlier and only wears it down while sleeping and in the bath. It’s long, and difficult to manage and out of a need to keep it untangled she keeps it styled until the moment she sleeps.

“Did he… touch you in some way?” He doesn’t want to ask this, because truly he doesn’t want to know the answer but Serenity fervently shakes her head. Some of the weight lifts, but truly Rhaegar cannot be without worries until he knows exactly what happened.

“Maena and I think… he watched us when we went swimming. We used to sneak off to the Sea of Serenity just she and I and she thinks he followed us because we went the first time he visited for peace talks between our planets,” Serenity turns bright red, “Meana and I used to practice kissing there, sometimes.”

If it were any other moment, Rhaegar would have let out a deep belly aching laugh at the fact that his wife used to practice kissing with her cousin, but the atmosphere is somber, and what had happened was too serious. It was no time to laugh. He’s also furious that Prince Diamond has seen his wife nude or perhaps in smallclothes and that causes his fury to raise his body temperature to rise to a scolding bathwater. And he knows that this man has hurt her by the sheer agony upon her face and he never wishes to see it again. He promises in that moment that Prince Diamond of Nemesis will burn.

* * *

 

They make love well into the night and Serenity’s soft giggles as his fresh beard nuzzles her side are enough to make him smile. His sweet wife, so kind and radiant and as beautiful as the night sky.

His sweet wife who constantly wakes him up with the most ridiculous requests. He is sleeping, the deepest sleep he has had in many moons when he feels a soft patting on his cheeks. He opens a blurry eye and sees Serenity blinking innocently from in his arms. He knows what’s coming, because although her eyes are wide she looks a little guilty. It’s the same look his daughters give when they are being scolded.

“My love?” he questions, struggling to keep his eye open.

Serenity smiles softly and then hugs him hard, “Please, I would like some lemon cake,”

He wants to groan, “You had some after supper,” he points out with a raspy voice.

“I know,” Serenity whimpers, “But I would like some now too, please.”

She says it so sweetly that Rhaegar mumbles his compliance, detangles their limbs and doesn’t bother to cover his nudity as he stumbles towards their door. She’s still in bed, and she’s pulled his pillow close and has bundled herself in their satin sheets. He sticks his head out of the door and sees Ser Arthur to his left.

“Your Grace?” the knight questions knowingly, “Is there anything the matter?”

Rhaegar just sighs, “Can you send for a slice of lemon cake?” he asks and although this happens at least once a week, Rhaegar still feels embarrassed asking because truly can she not wait until morning?

“Two, please!” Serenity calls from their bed and then with an even deeper sigh he corrects himself.

“Two slices of lemon cake, Arthur.”

Ser Arthur smiles knowingly, “I will go now, Your Grace,” he says and the other knight outside of their door turns his attention both left and right as his companion leaves towards the kitchens. He returns only a few minutes later with two slices of cake on a small plate with a single silver fork and knife and Rhaegar thanks him (now wide awake) as he shuts the heavy door to their solar and places the cake beside their bed affectionately.

Serenity is snoozing, but his wife is nothing if not a lover of sweets and her eyes open as soon as she smells her favorite lemony treat. She sits up happily in bed and as Rhaegar climbs back in and lays on his side to watch her eat her cake he cannot help but be amused by her evening escapades. She eats every little crumb and then, plate abandoned, she snuggles back into bed and grips him tightly. She’s out like a light, belly full of sweet and tart lemons.

He traces the skin of her back as they lie in their marriage bed. Tonight is their last night in King’s Landing before their duties will pull them across the Known World. She is asleep again, and she clings to him as tightly as she did the first night of their marriage.

He loves her more now than he had loved her then, and that is nothing but the truth. She is more mature now, her eyes more expressive. She’s grown taller (still quite smaller than him) and although she has borne him five children her body is still as lovely as it was many moons ago, even with the faint stretch marks that are fading on her belly. Her breasts are larger, and her hips flare out more than they did before, but she is still slender, and warmer than the summer breeze. She is a wonderful Queen and an even better mother to their children.

They have recently begun arranging matches for Daenerys and Rhaegon. His little sister will marry Robb Stark of Winterfell, the future Warden of the North. It will cement Northern loyalty, and it will make Daenerys happy. She’d met the boy on their trip to Winterfell and wouldn’t stop talking about him. She’d blushed in his presence, and so Serenity had suggested that her good-sister’s dream come true.

Most importantly, they had secured a bride for Rhaegon. Elaena Velaryon would marry their son when he was a man grown and she was a lady flowered. She was a pretty girl, with classic Valyrian looks and a bell-like voice. Rhaegar and Serenity thought Rhaegon might have been smitten, even though the girl was a few years from flowering.

Serenity had been genuinely happy that her children would be starting their own families and had suggested that they marry Rhaenna to the heir of the Stormlands.

“I adore Lya,” Serenity spoke warmly, “And hopefully she has taught her son not to be like his father.” Serenity pauses and considers it for a moment, “Robert used to be handsome, even if he liked his drinks and women a bit too much. I suppose that is what killed him.” She says it mournfully, and Rhaegar knows she is thinking about Ned’s sadness when he heard of his friend’s death earlier in the year, “Rhaena would be very happy there. You know she loves to visit Laetys there.”

“No,” Rhaegar says with such finality that Serenity is taken aback. They do not always agree, but Rhaegar is never this aggressive or assertive with her. As long as they have been married he has always treated her tenderly, if not emotionally distant at times.

“Why not?” asks Serenity in confusion, “Jon is squiring with Ser Jaime. He is a nice boy. Very polite, and courteous.”

“I do not want to marry our daughter to a Baratheon.”

Serenity crinkles her face in confusion, “But he’s your cousin,” then she pauses, “Did they do something? I thought Laetys was keeping Stannis in check.” An expression of understanding comes to her face, “Rhaegar, just because Lord Renly is a lover of men doesn’t mean that Jon is also a lover of men.”

Rhaegar wants to explode. _It’s not that,_ he thinks, _I don’t care about anything like that._ He needs to make something up fast or Serenity will suspect.

“No,” Rhaegar repeats, “It’s nothing like that. It just might seem we are giving too much favor to the Starks, since Lyanna Baratheon is a Stark by birth.”

At this Serenity nods, “Yes, you’re right. Then perhaps we could consider Harold Hardyng,” she offers, “Lord Arryn has spoken positively of his nephew, and he squires for Ned.”

Rhaegar agrees immediately for he has no desire to talk about the Baratheons or Jon Baratheon. Serenity cannot know the true reason that Rheagar will not match their middle daughter to the boy. For Serenity would never forgive him for more reasons than one if she knew that he had wed their daughter to his son.

* * *

 

They arrive in Valyria in hours by way of dragon with the Velaryon and Neptunian fleet behind them. They receive a royal welcome when they arrive at the White Palace.

Queen Selenity has rebuilt the Lunarian palace and the Holy Prayer Stone that it was built around brick by brick by bringing each piece from the Moon. The roses smell as sweet as they did at home, and the white stone of her family’s palace glows in the dry heat of Valyria. It had been a sad moment when Queen Selenity had severed the last tether that bound them to their homeland. But it had to be done to survive, and this place was going to be their new home. It would belong to Viserys, when the time was right, and any children he had with Margaery would eventually marry into the main branch of the royal family, ensuring that the Targaryens would keep control over Valyria.

Selenity kisses her daughter on her cheeks and tells her that the Queen’s suite is ready for her. Serenity wants to decline because her mother is Queen, her mother is Selene. Selenity smiles and kisses her daughter softly.

“ _You_ ,” her mother whispers, “Are now Selene. I wield the Crystal no more. Amaera and Mychelle are with child, my darling. The new Princess will be here in haste.”

Serenity knows this, and has known since Trysta bore the next Princess Pluto. Her mother’s reign is over, and her guardians will eventually lose the ability to transform. There can be only two Sailor Soldiers from each planet at a time – the leader and the heir. Selenity’s queensguard are still young, far too young for the end of their lives. Queen Selenity’s guardians, Serenity’s aunts, are only a few years older than her mother, just as her own guardians are only a few years older than her.

If Selenity’s guardians have begun to lose their ability to transform it could only mean that their time to guard the Queen had ended. They have passed their mantel on, and their daughters will train the next generation of Sailor Soldiers. Queen Selenity has reigned over the Moon for five hundred years, and now she her time was waning. It meant that in a few years, Serenity will birth the next Selene, and their line, the daughters of Selene, will remain unbroken.

They barely have time to settle into their quarters when Rhaegar calls together the War Council. The Small Council has stayed in Westeros with their Crown Prince acting as ruler under the Hand’s watchful gaze. It is good practice for Rhaegon, who has helped his father hold court, and has been present for countless Small Council meets to prepare for the time when he will be king. This is an opportunity for him to make decisions without Rhaegar, and so they leave him under the care of the Hand. Rhaegon will run the Seven Kingdoms while Rhaegar leads his men into battle.

Under Varys’ advise, Rhaegar has taken in the eunuch’s friend, Illyrio Mopatis, who will eventually be the Master of Whispers for Viserys in Valyria. His Velaryon cousin, Stannis Baratheon, Ned Stark, Jaime Lannister, Prince Oberyn, and Sers Arthur Dayne and Barristan Selmy make up the men who will make the decision about who goes to war. Tyrion had elected to stay in King’s Landing, as his strengths were more suited to political destruction rather than war. Along with his wife’s guardians, they will take Essos by force.

“We should take the Summer Islands first,” says Jaime, “It is close enough to Westeros and Valyria that if an enemy takes it they could ruin our supply lines, and invade Westeros.”

“Aye,” Princess Jupiter says, “And we take Volantis next. They are too dangerous to let go. They sent an assassin for our Queen.”

“What of the Free Cities?” questions Arthur, “Should we not take them immediately?”

“We should,” Princess Venus says, “But we have to do it quickly and in one fell swoop. If we wait too long the cities of Slaver’s bay will start preparing for a siege. They are behind stone walls, and they will use it to their advantage.”

“How many men do we have?” Ned asks, “Do we have enough to divide our forces for a simultaneous attack?”

Princess Jupiter smiles, “After the War Against the Others there are four hundred and seventy thousand Jovians alone. Quite honestly, we could take Essos with just their company. But I do not want to force my Amazons out of their homes. When glory is to be gotten, they will always rise.”

“Why can’t they leave?” asks Illyrio. Infrequently does he not know the answer to his questions, and he finds he does not like it.

“We Jovians are a hearty folk,” Jupiter says, “And our Amazons will go into battle until they are ready for the birth itself.”

Rhaegar shouldn’t be surprised by this, considering how well they had fought during the War Against the Others but he cannot picture a woman with child wielding a blade. For a moment he considers Serenity in the breastless leathers that the Amazons wore, her hair in the same coarse braids. He abruptly forces the image out of his head.

“The Martians are at the Sacred Flame,” Mars says, “They are picking my successor and no virgin may enter or exit the Temple until the task is complete.”

“And when will that be?” Ser Arthur asks.

Mars shrugs, “I cannot say. They prayed for six years to choose me.”

“Six years?” Rhaegar groans, “We cannot wait that long.”

“It won’t be that long, Your Grace. They will choose in the next two years but until then you will have to do without our archers.”

It’s a large setback, Rhaegar knows, because the arrows of the Martians shoot farther, straighter, and far more deadly than any arrow he’d seen a man release before. But they have dragons, and they have riders for those dragons, so they will still have a strong aerial assault. It will be without the cover of the Martian arrows but it will be strong nonetheless.

“We are working with a fighting force of about one million,” Jaime says finally, “If we leave some Amazons to protect Westeros, and we take control over the Dothraki tribes.”

“You cannot trust them,” Ser Barristan points out, “They are dangerous, and they have no loyalty. They are simple savages.”

“They have loyalty, Ser,” Illyrio corrects with a wane smile, “But it is only to power. If you conquer their khal you take the entire caravan.”

“Send Princess Uranus to take the Dothraki,” Jupiter says, “The Dothraki do not follow women, but she looks enough a man that they would bend the knee. And she wields the Space Sword. They are no match for her blade.”

“Princess Neptune won’t like that,” Venus points out, “She will have to go with her people to the sea.”

Ah yes. Rhaegar has heard that two of the Sailor Soldiers are followers of Sappho. “Princess Neptune will be at the tip of Valyria, to control the seas,” he declares, “When the time is right I would like her to envoy with the island countries of Sothoyos. They will bend the knee to her, as she controls the seas and they are nothing without sea trade. Send word to Princess Uranus that she is to take the Dothraki.”

“And Astapor?” Ser Barristan asks, “According to our last reports they have about twelve thousand unsullied warriors. They are brutally trained, and they could fell many of our armies before we take the city.”

“They are dangerous, but they are for sale,” Ser Arthur points out, “No matter how distasteful the practice, these unsullied can be bought. I say we buy the entire force and use it to take Astapor, Yunkai, and Mereen.”

“I agree,” says Rhaegar, “But we cannot force them to fight. My wife will be most displeased if we involve ourselves with slavery. Venus, _you_ will buy the unsullied. You speak the language and are trained in diplomacy. When you have taken Astapor, a contingent of men will join you to take Yunkai and Mereen.”

“That is agreeable, Your Grace,” Venus replies, “I will do my just duty.”

“What of the Gold Company, Your Grace?” asks Illyrio, “They are loyal to fault, and they have no love for Targaryens.”

Rhaegar nearly sneers. Blackfyres be damned, “We will hire them, just as we plan to take the unsullied. We will send a Celtigar under the guise of taking the Step Stones. He will hire the entire force so they are away from Essos.”

“A solid plan, Your Grace,” Jaime confirms, “I will have the Maester send word to Lord Celtigar right away.”

“What of the far East?” Venus presses expectantly, “Do you think Saturn may be a good choice?”

Rhaegar considers it for a moment and then nods sharply, “They are a land of warlocks and I do believe they would take to her. I want no innocent blood spilt and I would prefer all to bend the knee than to burn,” Rhaegar says, “We cannot make them submit out of fear. It must be their choice to become part of the world we are making.”

“What would you suggest, then, Your Grace?” Ned asks politely, “We are changing their way of life, and though the smallfolk may benefit, the lords and the slavers will not like the changes we are going to make.”

“Perhaps that is for the better,” says Ser Arthur, “We will have the support of the smallfolk if we promise to free them from their chains, and they outnumber the highborn infinitely.”

“Then you mean to end the practice of slavery completely,” Illyrio says knowingly, “It could work. But the masters will never bow if their source of income ends.”

“They will bend the knee,” Rhaegar says confidently, his crown sitting straight on his head, “Or they will burn.”

* * *

 

Serenity has never truly enjoyed reading the way that Princess Mercury does, but she is amazed by the Valyrian library. There are thousands of scrolls, with countless topics. They had come in handy before the War Against the Others. Within the scrolls had been the secrets to Valyrian steel, blood magic, dragon breeding and hundreds of other types of magic that had been lost after the Doom.

Serenity is truly interested in learning more about the Valyrian people from their ancient texts, until she comes across the Wall of Prophecy.

Princess Mars has been going through them, one by one in the back of the library and Serenity is not pleased about it. Prophecies are dangerous, she knows, and she has told Rhaegar this countless times. He had been obsessed with the Prince Who Was Promised, and was near neurotic about the dragon having the three heads he had seen in his dreams. His desire for three children had nearly cost her her life, and it had cost them three precious years of their marriage.

No, Serenity did not trust prophecies in any way, save for the ones made by Princess Mars, who was a true prophet. Belief in prophecies only forced them to come true. The things that should pass shall, she reasoned, and the things that should not will not. Prophecies gave reason for fear or reason for hope, and usually they ended in pain.

Mars had read every prophecy on the wall, and had realized quite early on that they had been separated into fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecies. There were far more unfilled than complete, and Mars went through each with a critical eye before putting some aside that she knew could never occur.

In the center, sealed with gold was a prophecy that seemed almost magnetic until she opened it.

_When the orange star bleeds_

_Then the darkness shall rise_

_Through salt and smoke_

_The promised Prince or Princess is bespoke_

_Azor Ahai will be reborn_

_In the midst of death and scorn_

_The last great cold is here_

_And will kill all who are near_

She calls over Serenity who is unhappy to be reading a prophecy but whose eyes grow afraid when she reads it.

“This is the prophecy,” she utters, “The one that Rheagar believes was complete when the Others were defeated. But I thought he said it was the red star bleeding? A comet?”

Mars shakes her head, “That’s an incorrect translation. Which means that the prophecy is not yet fulfilled.”

They look at each other before Serenity gives her sister a hard look, “I will not allow my children to be burdened with prophecies, Rhaeye. If Rhaegar hears of this who knows what he will do? You will tell no one of this.”

It is a command, Rhaeye knows, and she very infrequently gets them from her Princess. So she rolls the ancient scroll back up, puts it back into the wall and places a strong repellent curse upon the nook.

If Serenity says that no one will know of the true prophecy, then Rhaeye will make sure no one ever knows. No one will find this prophecy, and no one will ask about the Promised.

* * *

 

**292.**

Their plan is put into action only a few turns after they finish making it.

Rhaegar knows that slaves outnumber freeborn in the Free Cities three to one, and he will use that to his advantage. Tyrosh, Myr and Braavos will be the hardest cities to conquer, besides Volantis. He sends his wife’s handmaidens, Selena, Serena, and Seraphina several turns ahead of their arrival to sow discord. A stable state is harder to take, and so Rhaegar will feed into a slave rebellion. His wife’s handmaidens would sow the seeds of rebellion to make sure the slaves understood what freedom meant, and that it would come for them if they did the favors that the handmaidens asked.

They never commanded, only politely asked slaves for help in exchange for food, money, and in the case of a young slave girl who had spied on the magisters of Pentos, her freedom. Freedom is an idea, and it must spread like wildfire to force take the Free States.

Quietly, he buys up the debts of several prominent Essosi families at the Iron Bank of Braavos under several different names. When he demands those debts due all at once, the money in the Free States will be short and the slaves will be more easily convinced to rebel due to a shortage of food and supplies. Hunger is a driving force and so is gold. It would fuel more rioting, and if they are lucky would make the salves more willing to rebel and to side with the Westerosi invaders.

Serenity doesn’t like this plan at all. She doesn’t like that they are using the slaves as a means to an end but Rhaegar tries to explain to her that they are not using the slaves at all.

“Once the cities are under our control we can completely eradicate slavery, my love. They will be free. Without us they may _never_ be free. Think of all the enslaved children,” Rhaegar says as he smooths his hand over Jaehaerys’ curls, “Your handmaidens have said that they sell the children straight from their mother’s breast.”

Serenity is still very upset, and has been since she found out that Essos practices slavery so openly. The first time she had heard of it she had wept and then mourned freedom. Promises of freeing the slaves were the only way that Rhaegar was able to convince Serenity to support his campaign to take Essos. Hearing of the children made her weep for hours and although Rhaegar feels guilty he upset her, he must make sure she understands the reality of the situation. The slaves are the only way to take the Free Cities and Slaver’s Bay

Both regions made most of their coin through slavery and the slave trade, and the highborn rulers would not submit to Westerosi rule if they knew that their practice would be abolished. Destroying slavery would absolutely cripple the economies of the Free Cities. If they wanted to conquer Essos they would have to start with the Free Cities because they were between Westeros and Valyria. A good military leader could cut off supply lines and pirates could take their ships if they left the land unconquered. Once the cities of Slaver’s Bay heard about the Free Cities falling to Targaryen escapades, they would wall themselves in and then Rhaegar would have to put up an offensive army for a siege against the stone walls of the Bay. They would win, eventually, because there was no match for dragons, but they would lose valuable men, time, and resources to gain very little.

The plan that they had was the best way to take as much of Essos as they could in one fell swoop. The only other way was to take one city at a time. That wasn’t an ideal situation in any way, so they had come to the conclusion that their best move was to work in synchrony.

They have plans to usurp all of the Free Cities that will be a problem in one fell swoop. The fleet hides under the cover of Princess Mercury’s fog; Princess Uranus runs like the wind towards the Dothraki Sea; and Princess Neptune has controlled the  sea to create a storm that will stop any of the ships of Volantis from leaving the port. The pieces are on the board, and Rhaegar is ready to take the western end of Essos in a single move.

Dressed in one of her finest Qarthi dress, Princess Venus arrives at Astapor with a singular goal in mind. She has slits up the sides of her dresses, and her hair is braided upon her head. She is posing as a Braavosi highborn lady who desires to take revenge on the Dothraki for killing her family. Barristan Selmy carries her gold, and Prince Oberyn is posing as her rich husband. She is able to entice the men with her exposed breast, and they agree to sell her the entire contingent of Unsullied. Venus sweetly hands over a bag of Braavosi gold and then turns to her husband, “I have never liked the practice of slavery. Hurt no children, and no innocents!”

She speaks Valyrian so clearly that the masters stumble back but before they can respond she looks the Unsullied in the eye. “By orders of Queen Serenity and King Rhaegar you are free. You are _all_ free. Kill the masters, kill the slavers, free the slaves, and take the city!”

The ensuing chaos allows Oberyn to put a sword through the Master, retrieve his gold and then watch as his wife sends meteors down on the stone walls of the ruined city of Astapor.

When they are done she gives them the choice of freedom. None leave, and she tells them they will now take Yunkai.

Farther west, Princess Mercury gives the command to dock the ships, and the Jovian soldiers. They are on the beaches of Braavos, and within hours the city has fallen. The Iron Bank supports Rhaegar taking the city, because they believe it will give them a total monopoly on banking in Essos and Westeros. Pentos falls soon after because their army is stunted by Braavos. The Magisters and the Prince are executed, and the slaves are all freed immediately.

Further Souths, Princess Mars has peacefully negotiated with Lys who willingly join New Valyria. She sends a burning arrow for miles to Tyrosh and Myr where Princess Jupiter commands the Jovians with the same instructions as given at every other city. The Tyroshi are notoriously greedy, and have many unsullied in their midst who fight against the Jovian army. They are crushed under the forces of the Amazons. They stood no chance.

In the end, the slaves of the Free States welcome the Dragon King and Summer Queen without hesitation because they want their freedom. Rhaegar gets rid of those who refuse to free their slaves, publicly, and with dragonfire. It scares enough of the wealthy families that they bend the knee without hesitation.

Volantis is the enemy and they are treated differently. Neptune’s control over the sea has severely diminished their supply lines. They are starving the city out and it is inciting the rebellion without a problem. Rhaegar controls the other Free Cities already, and Princess Venus has just left Astapor under the control of her trusted councilman, Adonis. Meereen is the only potential ally that Volantis has, and they are more concerned with themselves than with the state of Volantis.

After starving the city for seven days, the slaves slaughter the masters on their own accord, all but the one who sent an assassin after his wife. He is left in chains in the center of the city as Rhaegar’s contingent arrives. Rhaegar brings his wife, if only because the slaves that they have freed in every city have wept at her feet.

Serenity shines as brightly as she did the day they were married, and she walks with her young twins besides her. She is swollen again, and her belly is round when the freed men fall at her feet. “Mother,” the cry, “Mother!” and they cheer when Rhaegar cuts off the man who threatened his wife’s head.

Within a fortnight, every Free State has become part of New Valyria, and Rhaegar is the first Emperor of Valyria.

Serenity worries that her husband has become blood thirsty, that he desires power rather than peace but he assures her this is not the case.

“I did this for you, my love. They are dangerous. They could have killed you. They tried to kill Daenerys.”

“I know,” Serenity whispers, “I just wish perhaps we could have talked them first, and then asked them to bend the knee instead. Maybe they would have done so. Lys did!”

“Lys is closer to her Valyrian roots,” Rhaegar points out, “But if we are to end slavery the way you want, we cannot allow the old leaders to regain power.”

It is true, and they both know it. If the old masters regain control over the freed slaves and they take the city back, it will crumble all of their plans, and Rhaegar will not lose control over his empire when it has just begun.

His wife was once the Crowned Princess of the Silver Millennium, a Queen who would rule over an entire Empire. She was Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms next, but not for many years into their marriage. He will give her a true crown when he takes Essos. The Silver Millennium will not die. He will take the entire Known World in her name.

* * *

 

Princess Uranus conquers the Dothraki easier than expected. They laugh and jeer, and the Khals spit in her face because they believe that following a woman is beneath them. They cannot lose to a woman with no hair and no braid.

When Uranus slices the first Khal in half with one move, they no longer laugh. The Khal’s blood riders try to seek revenge, and she slices them in half too. She takes their Khalassars, and as she marches across the Dothraki sea she reaches a fighting force with fifteen thousand Dothraki screamers. When she kills the last Khal, the new Princess Uranus in her belly, she marches them south.

They will crush Meereen in cold blood. They have resisted against the Targaryens, and her Queen. Venus has left Yunkai, who had settled much more peacefully under her thumb and they will surround Meereen and cut them off completely. Their supply lines have been dry for at least a turn but they have enough food hoarded within their walls that they could be a danger. Worse, spies have reported that they have built machines that could shoot down a dragon. Their assault must occur entirely on land, and it will be bloody. They are one hundred and fifty miles from Meereen when the dead bodies begin to appear.

Each mile, a child is slaughtered, head on a spike. The Meereenese have no want for Dragons in their midst and they are making it quite clear.

There is great evil there, but they do not know yet, and they do not know how evil it truly is.

* * *

 

The Walls of the city are empty. The slaves are long dead.

“We had no use for them,” the white haired man says dismissively, “With only our people here we can last a siege for several years without running out of supplies.”

He bites into a fresh, red tomato and watches the streets where his people bit into the flesh of burned slaves.

“Where is she now?” he demands to his right and a dark haired man steps forward.

“Brother, our spies in the Free Cities say she has returned to Westeros.”

“Are the whores with her?”

“Just the Princess of Mercury, brother. The others are here, in Essos.” The dark haired man pauses and his brother turns to look at him closely.

“And what of the other Queen?”

“She is tucked away – safe. For now,” Sapphire says.

“And what of the rest of the whores? That sapphotic seductress Princess Uranus has conquered the Dothraki.”

“She is still a ways away, brother. She will arrive here in a fortnight. Princess Venus is closer. Rubeus and I believe they will attack at once.”

“They won’t best us,” Diamond says confidently, “The would not dare risk a dragon to conquer us by air, and the Sisters can match the Guardians in battle.”

The princely brothers look out to the center of the city where the dark, black, pit is growing deeper and deeper.

“We will destroy them. I want their heads.” Diamond sees his brother’s apprehension and turns to him, “What is it, Sapphire? Speak.”

Sapphire hesitates before continuing, “Queen Serenity is with child, Diamond, again.”

His brother roars in rage, “That bastard has gotten another child on her! Another!” He is so angry he turns and strangles a slave servant before pushing her off his balcony onto the stones below.

“How dare she refute me? For him? For what!”

“Please, brother!” Sapphire pleads, “Give this up. She has been married to him for many years. Emerald has deep love for you, and she is a true Nemesi beauty!”

This focuses his brother’s rage on him, and Sapphire steps back as the White Prince begins to spit his rage through his solar. He has him removed from the room and Diamond collapses in front of a portrait at his bed.

He had had the portrait done when they were in negotiations to marry, and although it did not do her justice, he cared for it like it was the true being of the goddess herself. “My Serenity, my love. Why do you hurt me so? You asked me to save you, and I am trying but you make it harder with each moon. Do you not want me to save you? Do you not want me to love you, my love?”

His fingers drag across the portrait and he has the guards call in one of the few Lysene pleasure slaves left in Meereen.

She is a beauty, it is true, but she is not Serenity. Her eyes are not the right color, and her cheekbones are not as high. But her bosom is ample, and her hair is close to the beautiful shade of silver that his love possesses. They play his favorite game that night, where he captures his pretty Princess, they rut like animals, and then he kills her prince lover.

“Soon, my love,” he whispers as he strokes the slave’s hair, “Soon, we will be together again.”

* * *

 

This is one of the happiest days of Serenity’s life so far. Rhaegar returned to Westeros several night before, and Serenity has been at Winterfell with Daenerys for over a fortnight to prepare for her wedding. Princess Daenerys will be marrying Robb Stark in only a few hours in front of a heart tree in the Godswood at Winterfell.

Serenity is braiding Daenerys’s hair, and she kisses her lightly on the cheek when she starts tearing up. Daenerys looks alarmed by Serenity just hugs her tightly, “I am so proud of you, darling,” she places her forehead to Dany’s and hugs her even tighter, “Your mother would be so proud to see this.”

Even after all these years, the loss of Dowager Queen Rhaella pains Serenity deeply. She will never forget the kindness in Rhaella’s eyes, and the way that the woman had treated Serenity so lovingly.

“I know, mama,” Daenerys says into Serenity’s shoulder, “But in our hearts she is still there and I am sure she is very happy.”

Serenity smiles and kisses her good-sister again, and then she takes her hand, “Do you know what to expect tonight?”

Daenerys looks slightly uneasy, “After the bedding?”

“Yes,” Serenity says, “After the bedding.”

“I heard Aunt Maena say I would see the sun.”

Serenity wants to throttle Venus because very few young men of Robb’s age make anyone see the sun and then says, “Perhaps. But you are both young. Men and women are different, my darling, and he holds an anatomy that is opposite to yours. Do you understand?”

Daenerys nods because she’s changed Jaehaerys’ nappies before.

“And it will go where your moonblood comes from. It might hurt the first time, but it will be an… enjoyable experience soon after.”

Daenerys looks green but then swallows a glass gulp of hot tea.

Serenity smiles, “I promise it will all be fine. This is how you become a mother, my darling,” she says and places her hand to her middle.

That intrigues Daenerys but also terrifies her. Her mother had died in childbirth, and her good-sister had nearly died when she had Rhaenys. Serenity seems to read the fear on Daenerys’ face and then holds her cheek.

“You will be fine, Dany. Princess Mercury has given Winterfell a Mercurian healer, and they do not lose women to birthing. It is simply not done. Be at peace. Motherhood is a wonderful experience. It will give you new purpose.”

A knock on the door signals the arrival of Daenerys’ new good-sister, Sansa. She is a pretty girl, with Tully red hair and cornflower blue eyes. In her arm she holds a dress of deep red, with black embroidery. Targaryen colors.

She is very shy, and holds up the dress, “I know you already have a dress, Your Grace, but I made this one for you also, if it would please you.”

Daenerys smiles so widely that Serenity thinks her face may split in two, “Call me Daenerys, Lady Sansa. We are sisters now. And I would love to wear it.”

Serenity is very impressed that Sansa made the gown all on her own, and it fits Daenerys perfectly.

Though it is summer, the North still carries a chill, and so as they walk towards the Godswood, Serenity drapes Daenerys’ cloak over her shoulders. Rhaenys, Rhaenna, and Jaehaerya are holding the back of Daenerys’ dress from the dirt and Rhaegar has his younger sister’s arm in his. “I am very proud of you, sister,” he says as they get closer to the heart tree. There are soft candles glowing up ahead, and there is quiet singing. “You make sure he takes care of you,” Rhaegar says seriously, “You will always have a home with Serenity and I.”

“I know, Rhaegar,” Daenerys says as she grips her brother tighter. Her nieces are giggling behind her and as they approach the clearing, there are others waiting. Serenity takes her children from behind Daenerys, and they move to stand aside with the rest of their family. Viserys is already there, and he is smiling broadly.

The Starks are all ahead of her. Sansa, Lyarra, Rickon, and Edwyn Stark are all standing with Lady Catelyn Stark, who is wearing a smile that surprises Serenity.

Brandon Stark stands before the heart tree and says in a clear voice, “Who comes before the Old Gods this night?”

Rhaegar takes on a serious face, but still he has a small smile, “Princess Daenerys, of the House Targaryen, comes here to be wed. A maiden flowered, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg the blessings of the Gods. Who comes to claim her?”

Robb steps forward, and Rickon giggles quietly by his stupid expression. He looks very handsome, with his hair combed, and his cloak shone.

“Robert, of House Stark, heir to Winterfell. Who gives her?”

“King Rhaegar the first, of House Targaryen, who is her brother.”

Brandon looks at Daenerys, “Princess Daenerys, do you take this man?”

Daenerys smiles so hard her jaw hurts, “I take this man.”

Brandon turns to his son, “Lord Robert, do you take this woman?”

“Aye. I take this woman,” he says.

Rhaegar gives up his sister’s hand to Robb and then Brandon ties their hands together. Everyone in the clearing kneeled before the heart tree, and Rhaegar swears his wife is sniffling from beside him. She’s with child and emotional, but also she loves weddings and loves Daenerys so he isn’t surprised at all. When they all stand, Catelyn Stark gives Robb a cloak with their sigil and then Daenerys is no longer a Dragon, but a Wolf.

They retire to the hall where they feast, and Daenerys’ dragon, Stormbringer screeches into the night. Rhaegar is annoyed that strangers are touching his sister to bring her to the bedding ceremony but he is happy she is happy.

“I’m glad we didn’t all die,” he says to Brandon abruptly, “And now you’ve got to tolerate my presence at Winterfell on occasion, since we’re brothers now. That means you’re forced to like me.” He says it playfully, knowing that the Warden of the North for all his gruff demeaner had a good sense of humor.

Brandon grumbled, “Aye. I never truly disliked you,” he ground out, “Especially now that I know you weren’t purposefully ignoring the letters I sent.”

Rhaegar shrugs, “We’re all alive, and your son has married my sister,” Rhaegar has a look of dread, “I can’t believe my baby sister is going to have babies.”

Serenity giggles quietly as she hugs her husband, “I was only six months older than Dany when we married, husband. She is a woman grown.”

Viserys sighs, “She’s so lucky. I wish Margaery were old enough to wed.”

Rhaegar snorts, “Vis, you’ve got to stop gushing about the Rose of Highgarden to anyone who’ll listen.”

Rhaegon looks genuinely confused by this statement, “Why? That’s what you do with mama.”

Rhaegar hisses at him, “Rhaegon, you aren’t supposed to repeat that stuff.”

“It’s not even a secret,” Viserys says, “Everyone knows.”

“Aye, but-”

“What do you mean _but_?” Serenity questions forcefully.

Brandon cracks a smile. These southern cunts always getting their lasses aflame, “Well brother, I hope you enjoy your night in the stables. It’s quite cold and lonely there and the only thing to bed is the horse.”

“You’d know,” Catelyn says from beside him, “You’ve slept there a time or ten. Maybe another night there might do you good.”

Rhaegar looks at Brandon’s horrified face in satisfaction, “Aye, brother. We’re in this together. We share the stable _and_ the horse.”

Although Serenity never liked Catelyn very much, the North seems to have quelled her spitefulness and so she shares a look with Catelyn and nods slightly. They both roll their eyes.

* * *

 

Neptune and Uranus have both sent letters that their children are healthy and Serenity knows this means her guardians will all be with child soon. She holds her hand to her belly as she writes a long letter to Princess Mars. The Martians are in prayer, and Serenity knows what this all means. The child in her womb is not the next Selene but she is coming.

When Rhaegar returns from his small council meeting, she sits him down to explain what everything means.

“Then we will have another child after this one?” Rhaegar asks.

Serenity nods, “My mother was born from a man and a woman, so I know I do not have to travel to the cauldron to ask for a child.”

“And she will be born after your guardians have their children?” he clarifies.

“Yes,” Serenity says, “The princesses are always born in a specific order. Pluto first, Saturn last. It is to allow us time to say our goodbyes.”

That is the hardest part of knowing that she will have a new daughter soon.

“What do you mean?” Rhaegar questions.

Serenity sniffles, “The Silver Crystal can only have one mistress, and it is me. My mother cannot use it anymore for anything other than small acts of healing. Her guardians are losing the ability to transform, one by one. It means they are ready to fade.”

Rhaegar’s heart freezes, because that sounds like something that is worth being afraid of. “Fade?”

“It is like dying,” Serenity whispers, “Our kind will live forever until we choose to move on. A Queen moves on when she can no longer rule. My mother will likely only live to see the Crown Princess be born and then she will fade. Her soul will go back into the cauldron, and then eventually in many years she may be Queen again. This is how it has been done for thousands of years.”

Rhaegar is horrified because it sounds horrible to know that your own mother will die, and even know when that will happen, but to know that it is something that you must accept and embrace.

“For now, we can love little Aegon when he comes and my sisters will train their daughters to look after our daughter.”

Rhaegar is not satisfied. “Why cannot our other daughters take the Crown?”

Serenity frowned, “The Crystal does not do their bidding.”

“How do you know?” Rhaegar asks and Serenity laughs quietly.

“Because if it did there would be very odd things happening at all times. When I was young and used to make wishes they always came true. Including my wish that faeries build a forest fort in my room. We would know if they could control the Silver Crystal.”

Rhaegar does not truly understand the power of the Silver Crystal, nor how it works. Serenity has told him time and time again but it does not seem to make sense to him. He believes it to just be an object, and doesn’t understand how incorrect that assumption is.

“It is sentient,” Serenity says, “It has it’s own will but it bends to mine if I wish it to.”

He’s seen it before, touched it with his own hands, but Serenity cautions him, “You must treat it gently. The Silver Crystal is what gives me my soul.”

That has him incredulous. Of course he cannot break it, this thing that had his wife within it for years cannot break. It is the hardest rock they have ever seen.

“It can break,” Serenity disagrees, “It has broken before.”

Rhaegar is horrified and hands it back carefully, “What happens… when it breaks?”

Serenity smiles sadly, “I will fade.”

The fear in Rhaegar’s heart has never been so pronounced. He will not break her crystal. But he may break her heart, and somewhere inside Rhaegar thinks that may be the same thing.

* * *

 

**293.**

When Daenerys runs towards Serenity with a smile of triumph, Serenity knows that her good-sister is finally going to experience motherhood. She’s incredibly excited, and she explains that Robb is also excited to start a family.

“He thought I might be safer here,” Daenerys explains as she lounges next to the only mother she has ever known, “So he is off back towards Essos with his bannermen.”

Serenity smiles broadly and then leans towards her good-sister, “And your little one will have a cousin around the same age.”

Daenerys lights up and they hug and Serenity is understanding when Daenerys begins weeping, “I miss mother but I am happy I have you, mama.”

Serenity holds her tightly and once again remembers the promise she made to her good-mother. She would raise her like her own, until she could raise her children on her own. She may not be her truth mother, but Serenity is excited about the prospects of being a grandmother. Serenity is the only mother than Daenerys has ever known.

King’s Landing is starting to cool down, and Dany tells Serenity that the snow is coming more often to Winterfell. “Winter is coming,” she says, “but this time it will not come with the Others.”

Serenity smiles as she pulls her sister into her arms, “Are you happy, my love?”

Daenerys nods and the two focus their attention on Rhaenna who is playing with Silverwing.

“Is this what it’s like?” Dany asks as they admire the children playing.

“What do you mean?” Serenity asks in response.

“Do they grow this fast? Do… do you miss me as I have missed you?”

Serenity wipes a tear from Daenerys’ eye and kisses her on the cheek, “They do grow fast. You grew fast. And a mother will always miss her children. My life is nothing without you all. I am _nothing_.”

Dany snuggles into her side and picks up Jaehaerys who immediately yanks her hair.

“Rhaegon marries tomorrow,” she says, “and Rhaenna will marry in only a few turns.”

Serenity grins and then mischievously says, “Poor Viserys. All he wants is to marry Margaery but he’s still got a while to go yet. She’s got time until she flowers.”

Dany snickers and then jokes, “Gods help us all when they finally marry. They may be worse than you and my brother. How many nieces and nephews do I have again?”

Serenity scowls playfully, “It happens when you love each other. It’s better than being in a marriage without any affection at all.”

Dany agrees and then utters, “You don’t have to be gross all the time though. You two are too affectionate around us.”

Serenity rolls her eyes. “That affection gave you all your playmates as a child.”

The two laugh and then groan when Jaehaerya toddles over to tell her mother she has made a mess in the corner. Sure enough there is a child sized turd sitting on the stone of the nursery.

“I sorry.”

Serenity sighs as she stands to call for a servant and Daenerys is making quiet jabs about the royal privy.

“Don’t laugh, Dany. Soon this will be you.”

Having changed many nappies, Daenerys’ laughter stops completely.

* * *

 

Pregnancy had always been one of her most favorite times. She felt warm, glowing, and happy at the prospect of loving another child. Her children loved having a new sibling, and she and Rhaegar were always closer when they had an infant. But she found that with her slight stature, the weight of a child impeded her balance when she was nearing the birth. She had gotten better at not stumbling about, but today had nearly tripped on an upturned fold in the rug of her husband’s study.

She had been keen on leaving him a present, something small but important. Princess Neptune had sent back a box of succulent dates from Astapor, and having tried several herself, Serenity knew how scrumptious they were. So she put them in a small box with a ribbon and had attached a note she had inked herself, in Lunarian (her husband was close to being fluent!) and left it on his desk.

He had been gone all day and Serenity knew this would be the perfect surprise. She wasn’t supposed to be in his study, and when she tripped she knew why. She’d knocked over a vase that looked quite expensive and as she opened her mouth to call for a servant to clean up the bits of sharp porcelain she noticed that there was a worn piece of parchment stuck to the black and white porcelain.

Her husband’s name was scribbled on the paper and Serenity knew she should not be looking through her things but she grabbed it anyway.

It wasn’t in a hand she knew, and that should have been the first thing to tip her off.

 

_My Dearest Rhaegar,_

_Our night together still haunts me, and I will-_

 

Her vision goes blurry and she scans the letter. Lyanna Stark. Or, she guesses by this time, Lyanna Baratheon. Her husband set her aside for Lyanna Baratheon. Inside the intact remains of the vase there are dozens of notes, and Serenity’s heart leaps into her throat. But she wants more pain so she reads every single letter.

One is recent, that much she knows, because Lyanna mentions her happiness that now that Robert is deceased she can remarry. When she gets to the bottom of the letter, she sees that Lyanna has asked Rhaegar to set the Queen aside for she and their son.

Set the Queen aside.

Rhaegar is going to annul their marriage. The tears don’t even fall and she turns to the side and promptly loses the dates she ate on the rug. When she can stand, she has Selena fetch Princess Mars. Mars’s temper is as fiery as her planet and Serenity has to beg her to stay silent, and to help her make all evidence that she knows about her husband’s bastard disappear. Mars fixes the vase, dutifully but angrily, and they replace all the letters and leave it as it was on his desk. Serenity takes back the dates and the letter she wrote and Selena makes sure that no one sees the Queen rushing from the King’s study that night.

Before she hurries out of their solar she leaves a letter, one that is entirely dissimilar to the one that she had wrote only an hour before.

_Rhaegar,_

_I have decided to spend some time with Mama. I am taking the twins._

_Serenity VII_

No one sees the royal ship leave the harbor of King’s Landing that night.

Rheagar does not finish his meeting with the Small Council until late that night, and he is surprised to find that his wife is absent, and on the bed there is a short missive.

His wife has decided to depart for Valyria. He frowns. They have no plans to leave Westeros. His wife has spent months preparing for their daughter’s arrival. It’s odd, he thinks, but then he remembers that his wife is birthing a child that her mother may help her with. The Silver Millennium is strange, and his wife’s people had strange customs.

So, he shrugs it off and vows to visit Serenity soon on Balerion’s back and meet his newest child.

* * *

 

Every day Serenity wonders if she will receive word from Rhaegar that he no longer needs her, that her people must leave his planet, and that their marriage is over.

He has not sent anything of the nature. Presents have come for the twins’ nameday, and he sent her a letter about the birth of their new nephew. He has said nothing of their annulment, or Lyanna Baratheon.

Until this letter. At the bottom of his most recent letter, Rhaegar says he has important news that he will share as soon as everything is finished. Serenity’s heart freezes and she cries into her mother’s chest for hours.

“How do you know for sure, my darling?”

“He kept all of those letters!” she sobs.

It does look bad, Selenity thinks, because it means there was an emotional attachment, both to Lyanna and Jon.

“I am such a fool!” Serenity cries, “I believed him when he said he that he was faithful when Rhaenys almost-”

A knock on the door halts the conversation and a servant informs the Queens that King Rhaegar has arrived and is waiting in the solar they have shared on many occasions.

Selenity helps to relieve the puffiness in Serenity’s eyes, and sooths her daughter’s hair. “My Love, no matter what, a Queen of the Moon needs no man.”

Serenity sniffles and hugs her mother again before gathering what little fortitude she has left so she can even put eyes on her husband.

It is both pleasure and pain. He looks the same as he has always looked. His violet eyes are wide, radiant, and he looks genuinely happy to see her. His hair is tied back in a brain and she can smell the oil he uses in the baths even as she enters the room. He is painfully beautiful, and Serenity wonders how she never saw Rhaegar’s nose, the same nose on their children on Jon Baratheon. She feels she is the fool.

Rhaegar is smiling until he sees that she is not. He stands up from his chair in concern and he reaches an arm out but Serenity flinches away. This alarms him even more and using the last bit of courage she has she blurts out, “Would you lie to me forever?”

Rhaegar’s brows crease together, and Serenity thinks her husband is a good actor for he looks entirely too confused.

He says nothing, and so Serenity elaborates, “Would you have let Rhaena marry Jon Baratheon knowing that they are siblings?”

There is it. It’s in the room now. It’s between them, and the generous size of the solar suddenly seems too small. This thing that hangs over them is now out in the open, and it can’t be taken back.

Serenity sees his guilt before he hears it. His eyes are not shining anymore. He is not as radiant as he was the first night they met. Maybe he never was.

“I have conferred with my ladies and we have come to the conclusion that we could recolonize the Moon. I will sign the annulment papers without argument, but I will not leave my children here.”

That is when Rhaegar finally cracks, “What-” he begins, “S-”

“I will not leave my children here,” she repeats, far more loudly this time, “They came from me. I raised them. I will not leave them for Lyanna Baratheon to kill to put your bastard on the throne.”

He is stunned but finally he begins to speak, “Serenity, I didn’t- I made a mistake.”

“You did,” Serenity agrees, “It can take a single time to have a child but it was not a single time, was it?”

He looks guiltier and guiltier and Serenity wants to die inside.

“No,” he said, “It wasn’t.”

At least he is being honest. “How many?” Serenity asks, “How many women did you have in our bed?” She only knows about Lyanna, but are there more? Does her husband have a dozen bastards? Or just the one?

“Just Lyanna,” Rhaegar says quietly, “I swear it.”

Her name hurts but not as much as others could have. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thinks that she is glad he has never touched her good-sister.

“Well,” Serenity says, “Your promises don’t mean much do they?”

“Please,” he pleads, “Let me explains. I- Serenity, I don’t love her! I love only you.”

Against her wishes the tears well up on her cheeks, “If you loved me you would not have done this. You would not have made a mockery of me. I- I looked her in the eye and let her into my home. She was my friend and I- you brought my friend into our bed.” When she starts sobbing Rhaegar looks more ashamed than he has ever looked.

“We- I know,” he says, “I know I made a mistake. It was one night,” he says desperately, “A moment of weakness and I felt so guilty I vowed I would never do it again, no matter what. I did not know you then like I do now.”

It’s true, and they both know it. Rhaegar had been romantic from the start of their marriage, but he lacked sincerity. He hadn’t learned anything about his wife’s people, or their culture. In the beginning, though they had shared moments of intimacy, they had been strangers. Love had grown for them. He is not the man he used to be, and Serenity knows it just as Rhaegar knows it. But that does not excuse his adultery.

“You shouldn’t have done it in the first place,” Serenity shrieks, “I never strayed from you! Not once! Never! I gave up everything for you! For our children! For what?!”

Rhaegar is crying now, and she can’t feel it in her heart to pity him. She is dead inside, and feels as hollow as the crown upon her head. “You dishonored our marriage,” Serenity whispers, “When it had barely begun.”

Rhaegar is more than desperate now, “It was the only one time, my love. When you were ill, after Rhaena. I never did it again,” he repeats, “Not even during the Sleep. I couldn't hurt you like that again.”

“I was dying inside, and-” Serenity takes a calming breath. “Tell me honestly, Rhaegar. Would you have told me that Lyanna Baratheon bore your son?”

Rhaegar looks so pained that Serenity knows the answer, “No. You were so unhappy, I couldn’t tell you what I had done. You knew I had strayed but I- I couldn’t tell you when you had started to get better and then we were finally happy again and then after Rhaenys I- I promised the Gods I would never look at another woman if you were given back to me and I swear I have been true. I swear it. I have never looked again. Not at Lyanna, not at anyone but you.”

“Then why?” Serenity cries, “Why did you keep her letters? Why is she asking you to set me aside?”

“I would never!” Rhaegar vows loudly, “I kept those letters because I was so guilty about what I had done that I needed to remind myself that I deserved to remember what I did. I would never do that to you, never. I would never embarrass you that way, insult you that way, demean you that way-” The way his father had demeaned his mother. He sobs then, truly, because he knows what he did was wrong. He fathered a bastard on Lyanna Baratheon, and he had lied about it. Lied for years. He is no better than his father.

The silence is so daunting that Serenity thinks it may never leave them.

“I love you,” he whispers, “I have asked too much of you, for many years. I’m sorry. I know that the words mean nothing, but I have been sorry since the night I allowed her to seduce me. I ruined the most precious thing we have. But – please. If you have it in your heart to forgive me, I – I love you. I need you with me forever. We promised forever.”

There is a pause and then Serenity responds, “Yes. We promised forever.”

Rhaegar’s hopes climb, and his heart begins to thump and blood is rushing at his ears.

“And I keep my promises. This I promised you, Rhaegar Targaryen ‘Thee I shall love, honor, and obey as we should both live.’ I did those things. And I will do this thing as well. You will never share my bed again. We are married in name, but you are no husband of mine.”

Serenity leaves Rhaegar in their solar, and she shuts the door on her heart.

* * *

 

The wind is blowing fierce as Serenity dreams. Truly she does not dream, but falls into a pit of night terrors. She is alone in her sleep, and snow is covering the floor of their solar. She stands up from their bed and approaches the window.

Outside it is summer but in her rooms, it is winter. The cherry blossom tree is in full bloom, but it is rotting, dying, decaying like it was never alive in the first place. Outside the Moon is low in the sky and as Serenity thinks about her home she is there, floating in the Sea of Serenity as she watches her mother at the shore. She reaches out to touch her and her mother turns to her, solemn in voice, “It is time.”

She blinks, and they are somewhere else, somewhere she does not know. It is dark, and warm, but the heat seems to freeze her skin. She opens her eyes and there is nothing but the stars in the sky and a great cauldron in the sky. She knows where they are now, somewhere she has never been except for the day she was born. This is the place where all life begins and all life ends. This is the place where the start is also the end. When she turns, her mother is lifting a babe.

But there is a shadow that follows, one that is waiting for a new host. It cannot join with the babe, but it clings to the mother and daughter as though it is the only hope that it has. It needs life. It needs the light. The shadow takes form, but it is not man nor woman. It just is. It just exists. And Serenity’s fear is growing. How does her mother not see the evil that is on her shoulder, that is waiting to take her daughter the moment she closes her eyes? She wants to yell, wants to scream but this is a void. There is nothing but light and dark and there is no room for her here.

But it is no longer her mother. This woman is different, with whiter hair and sad eyes. Perhaps she is the future, or maybe she is the past but all Serenity feels from her is a warmth that radiates so brightly that Serenity is blinded by her light. Blinded by the beauty she sees between her smiling lips. She reaches her hand out and places it upon Serenity’s cheek.

“You, my darling are Selene,” the shining woman says as she moves closer and places her lips upon Serenity’s. “It is inevitable,” the woman whispers, “Only death can pay for life.” And then she can’t breathe. She is choking on air and then the world is dark and she is surrounded by blood as red as it could be. And the sound reverberates around her. It is not one voice, but many. It’s voice is oppressive, as hard as ice and as black as the sunless night. It drowns her, buries her, _terrifies her_. It is all she can hear and it is so heavy that her chest feels as though it will explode, as though it is strangling her from the inside out.

_I am Chaos._

* * *

 

It takes longer than expected to rally their forces at Meereen. The city is deathly quiet, and although they are surrounded, there has been no sign of life from within the city. Their supply lines hadn’t needed to be cut off, simply because they had not existed at all. It made Venus think that they had a stockpile of food, water, and necessities somewhere within the walls of the city.

On the eighty-second day of the siege against Meereen, the Unsullied finally break the door down. What they see is not what they expected.

Meereen is a ghost town. Or more accurately, it is a graveyard. There is no one but the dead on the ground. All the children slaughtered, the men, women and children eviscerated. The bodies are decayed, and the smell is so putrid that Venus is unsure how it didn’t stink from outside of the walls. These bodies have been here for a while, over a fortnight, judging by the worms and flies eating the flesh on the ground.

And in the center of the city lies a large black crystal releasing so much fear, anger, and hate that Venus and Uranus have no doubt who has been here, but is clearly now gone.

Prince Diamond has poisoned Meereen and he has left his people to die.

* * *

 

She’s angry he doesn’t write her back. She knows he gets her letters. Robert is gone know. Doesn’t he want her? Doesn't he want everything that she is?

Poor little Princess Serenity, all dressed and white and doesn’t know that her husband has made a fool out of her.

It doesn’t matter, Lyanna thinks, what the Moon Princess thinks. She is nothing, nothing to Lyanna for what she has done. She’s taken everything she holds dear, everything she has ever wanted. She and her mother.

Why live at Storm’s End with all of her husband’s bastards when she could be so much more. She could be Queen. She _is_ Queen. She is the fairest, the most beautiful, the true Queen and if the Westerosi King won’t listen to her letters, then she’ll just have to make him.

* * *

 

The children are terribly confused by the sudden distance between their parents, until Margaery informs Viserys of what has happened. The maids, she says, overheard the argument between the King and Queen.

Viserys storms into his brother’s study and punches him in the face in an act that counts as treason. “How dare you?” he fumes, “How dare you do this to Serenity?”

Rhaegar doesn't even fight back. He just stares at his brother with hollow eyes.

“I have spent my whole life trying to strive to be as good of a man as you, to be as honorable as you. I would become you or I would become our father and after the terrible things he did, I looked to you as the example of how to be a true man. And this is what you have done. Aye, it’s true,” Viserys says, “Men have whores, and Kings have as many whores and ladies as they can fit in the Keep. It’s expected, encouraged even. But, brother. You have dishonored your wife like none but our father have done unto her before.”

Rhaegar cringes then, remembering the tourney where his father had molested his wife in the stands. He remembered her cries that night, the shame, the deep depression she had sunk into.

Viserys sucks in a deep breath, “I won’t tell my nieces and nephews, or Daenerys what you’ve done. No,” he says, “You must apologize to your family for adultery against a woman who has given you the Moon and more. You count your blessings, Rhaegar,” Viserys says, “And think about what you’ve lost.”

And doesn’t Viserys know that Rhaegar knows? Doesn’t he know that Rheagar knows he destroyed everything? His marriage? His family?

He knew how his people saw him, how his children viewed him. Rheagar was the Good King, with a wife that was the Mother of the Seven Kingdoms. His people loved him because he was a man of honor. But it was built on nothing but a bed of lies.

They do not speak for four turns. He sends letter after letter to Valyria, and flies Balerion countless times to speak to his wife but her door is locked. She will not speak to him. It frustrates Rhaegar so much that he risks his good-mother’s ire to try to fix the rift between them.

He does not understand the expression on her face. She is stoney, and unreadable. “She is mourning,” Selenity says, “For the husband she had.”

“But I am here! I want to fix this more than anything. I swear it!”

“I know,” Selenity says, but there is not happiness in her eyes, “And she knows as well. But she needs time. Eventually she will speak to you again.”

“Will she forgive me?”

“I cannot answer that,” Selenity says, “And if I could, I still would not answer. I would not break my daughter’s confidence for you, Rhaegar Targaryen.”

Ser Arthur advises Rhaegar that he must sit outside his wife’s door and not leave until she opens the door. Little Aegon is with her. He has yet to even meet his son. At first he thought it spiteful, but then he realized that Aegon was perhaps the only child she had who would not ask about him, and about their distance. He is probably the only light in her day.

So he sits outside of her door for hours, and pushes letter after letter of love and adoration under her door. He sings songs he wrote her, and begs for her forgiveness. He cries one day. It’s been a full week, and Serenity still has not left her rooms and he has not left the hard floor outside of her door. They have had longer apart than this but it was different before. After Rhaena’s birth his wife had been sick but Princess Mercury had assured him she would get better, and during the Long Sleep he had no idea if she would ever wake but he had said goodbye, had told her he loved her. They had parted ways with a kiss, while she was dying in his arms. This distance, this separation, is not like anything before. It is true pain because it could have been avoided had he not ruined everything all those years ago.

On the tenth day, he hears a creak and shoots up to his feet.

Serenity has opened the door.

He doesn’t want to say anything because he doesn’t want to scare her away. He is hyper aware that this is the first time he has seen her face since they talked about Lyanna and Jon. She is beautiful, as beautiful as she has always been. But she looks awful.

Her face is swollen and her eyes are puffy and lined red. She looks frail, thin, and her skin is greying. Her hair is tangled, and she isn’t wearing anything but a dressing gown. She doesn’t shine, isn’t glowing. The halo of light that had always surrounded her but had become brighter after the Sleep is nowhere to be seen.

“Come in,” she whispers, and opens the door.

Selena, Serena, and Seraphina all scurry out the door with a quick curtsey and they are alone except for his new son in Serenity’s arms. “May I?” he asks and Serenity looks hesitant for a moment before she nods and hands over the small bundle that is Prince Aegon of the Step Stones. He looks just like Rhaegar. The rest of their children had their mother’s cool coloring, and his violet eyes. Aegon has Rhaegar’s warm coloring, his platinum hair, and his lavender eyes. He has a better understanding of why Serenity couldn't look at him. She spent all day looking at a child that reminds her so much of him.

The silence is uncomfortable now. And they are both in pain. Serenity because she has to live with her husband’s infidelity until they die, and Rhaegar because he wants to move on from his mistakes. They are angry, and hurting, and they are both tired of being upset.

“I’ve said I’m sorry a million times, and I would say it a million more. But I think words are worthless now.”

“They are,” Serenity says, “I know you’re sorry. I know you regret it, and I know you are ashamed of what you did.”

They’re the best words he can hear, because he thinks this means she will forgive him, that maybe they can move on. That they can go back to where they were before.

“Can… can you forgive me? Can we move forward? Can we be together again?”

It comes out like a jumbled mess, but it’s there. The words are said. He’s laid himself bare and he hates it. Because she could say no. She _should_ say no.

“Things can never be like they were before, Rhaegar,” Serenity says and Rhaegar’s heart falls. Everything hurts, and the only thing stopping him from dropping to the floor in agony is their son in his arms, “But we can try to move on. But I do not trust you anymore. I trusted you not to hurt me, and for all the things I have forgiven this was one thing I never thought I would have to forgive. We argued, yes, and we were at odds for many things. But I never once in my heart thought you would stray from our bed,” her voice hitches and to his horror she is starting to tear up.

He hates himself every time he makes her cry and in this moment, he is miserable.

“But I am tired of this. I am tired of not trusting you, of being angry, and of our children asking why you are not here. I cannot do it anymore. I cannot hurt like this, _ever again_. Do you understand, Rhaegar? If you do this to me again I will ruin you, I swear it.”

She says it with such honesty, and clarity that he doesn’t doubt her at all. His wife has never been vindictive, but she has proven time and time again she will do anything for those she loves, especially for their children.

“If you break our vows again, _if you do this to me again_ , I will take our children, my people, and everything else that I brought into this marriage and I will leave.”

It chills him to hear these words. Somewhere inside, it angers him, that she would just leave him like that, that she would seek to ruin him so thoroughly but another voice reminds him that that is exactly what he had done to her over the years. So he buries that anger and then he kneels at her feet.

“Never,” he whispers, “I cannot promise that I will never hurt you again, but I promise that I will never stray again. I promise it on all that I have. _I love you_ ,” he says.

Serenity is crying again.

“I _adore_ you. There is no other woman in this world for me. You are everything I need, and everything I want and everything that I know is true. I made a mistake. I know now what it is like to not have you and I will never allow that to happen again.”

That night they make love and as Rhaegar worships her, the past becomes the past.

* * *

 

Princess Mars has just come from negotiating a marriage between her middle niece, Rheanys and Willem Lannister. They need to keep pressure on the Lannisters, and what better way to keep the loyalty of Tywin and Kevan than to wed in both of their lines? Mars has seen that their union would be a successfully one, happy, as well.

She has been looking into the fire more and more every day for guidance. The war has only just begun, and yet she already wants it to be over. Most importantly, she seeks answers about the evil that is lurking on this planet.

Prince Diamond is hiding somewhere, and Mars has reason to believe he is hiding in the Red Waste. It could be colonized by the Nemesi, who are used to far worse conditions, and it is secluded enough that they could stay hidden from all.

So she prays before the flames, becoming one with the fire and she enters a trance-like state that happens only when the Goddess must speak to her directly, when they have words she must hear, and images she must see.

She is brought back to her childhood, when Queen Serenity was just a newborn babe. She is brought back to meeting her sisters for the first time.

_“Do you, Rhaeye, take on the mantle of Princess Mars, Sailor Mars, and the High Priestess of the Silver Millennium?” Queen Selenity asks, her moon wand in front of her._

_Rhaeye bows as deeply as her three year old legs are able and then kneels before the Queen and newborn Princess. “I do, Your Grace.”_

_“Then you are Rhaeye of Phobos-Deimos, the Twenty-Seventh Princess Mars, Sailor Mars, and the High Priestess of the Silver Millennium; Guardian of Serenity zi Lunaryon, Seventh of her Name, Thirty-First Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium._

_Rhaeye rises as she receives her transformation wand and a bow and quiver from the older Princess Mars, who is older, and wiser, with red hair and bright green eyes._

_The Queen is finally giving Princess Maena her title, and Rhaeye watches on as the Princess becomes the leader of Princess Serenity’s guard, and takes an oath to be her bodyguard. Princess Venus receives a glowing chain, identical to the one that the older woman before her, with the same golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes carries. The older Princess Venus vows to give the new Princess Venus the Holy Blade, and then shows it before her. She takes young Princess Venus’ hand and pricks her thumb with a needle and allows the blood to seep onto the blade._

_The Queen begins again, “You are Maena of Megellan, the Twenty-Seventh Princess Venus, Sailor Venus, and the Leader of the Sailor Soldiers; Guardian of Serenity zi Lunaryon, Seventh of her Name, Thirty-First Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium.”_

_Princess Venus smiles broadly and looks to her mother in pride and Rhaeye can’t help but feel jealous. She doesn’t know the Princess Mars who stands before her. She is a stranger. But the woman’s green eyes show empathy, and Rhaeye realizes that five hundred years ago, older Princess Mars stood where she stands and had no one to guide her either. The other planets had a royal house, with woman who always gave their firstborn daughter to become a Sailor Soldier. It was an honor. Her planet had no royalty, and had no men. They all sprung from virgins, and then they offered up the child who had been blessed by the Sacred Flame to become their Princess._

Why is the goddess showing me this? Princess Mars wonders. What has this got to do with anything?

_As Queen Selenity holds her babe in the air to present her to the nobles, a cold wind flares through with a dark haired woman at the end of it. As she, the uninvited guest, is forced back into the Dark Side of the Moon, her eyes flash. She begins to shriek almost inhumanly and then it becomes deep, dark, dying._

_“My Queen Selenity of the White Moon here is my final gift to you._

_Three Curses I Lay Upon Your Throne_

_As true as the words of the wise crone_

_One to die before your heir is grown_

_To kiss and cry before she is shown_

_Two to lose all that you have known_

_In Fire and Ice when Venus is blown_

_Three to turn your Kingdom into stone_

_To die too young, in fear and alone.”_

_She cackles as she is sealed away and Rhaeye cannot hear anything but the baby Princess’s agonized screams and the can see naught but the great white light of the Silver Crystal, blinding them all to the wickedness of the uninvited guest._

_The mirror breaks as Rhaeye’s eyes open._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How many of you guys saw the several plot twists in this chapter coming? What does Rhaeye's vision mean? Why is Lyanna so persistent? What abou Serenity's dream? Where is Prince Diamond? Everything will be answered in the next and final chapter!


	5. La Luna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Here is the final chapter of The Summer Queen. It's been a whirlwind from start to finish. I started writing this story on April 18, 2018. Thank you so much to all of my readers, reviewers, and everyone who followed this story. Writing it was one of the most enjoyable things I have done this year, and it really got me into a better mental state and made me truly enjoy writing again.  
> This chapter has been half written for over a month and I finally finished it just before posting chapter four. I sat down to edit this because I wanted it to be complete and I wanted you all to get the next chapter as soon as possible. I love you all.

Mars does not feel fear but Rhaeye does. It is too much, this vision, too much for her mind to handle. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong and now she knows exactly what it is. The Sacred Fire has been telling her that something was not in balance but she had thought it was something else, that it could be anything else but this. Rarely is she given visions that do not need interpretation. Rarely does the Sacred Fire speak to her without complicated riddles and whispers of a shadow of death and destruction.

This vision is different. It is exacting. It is the truth without interpretation. The Sacred Fire has spoken, has been speaking even, and Rhaye things it may already be too late.

She has returned. The name that has not been spoken. The Queen will not kneel. The Dark Queen. The Cursed Queen. The uninvited guest.

Queen Nehelenia of the Dark Side of the Moon. Thousands of years ago, the light of the Silver Crystal attracted the darkness. It craved companionship and that is how the Dark Side of the Moon was born. Deep within the Moon on the other side of every mirror lived another Moon and another world ruled by the Queen who was all that Darkness could be. Surrounded by death, horror, and destruction, Queen Nehelenia was the antithesis of Selene. She was Chaos in human form. She was the evil that could not even survive in the hearts of mortals.

The Lunarians forgot about her existence. But slowly and surely her bonds were broken until one day when the young Princess Serenity was born. An uninvited guest appeared and brought the Darkness as a friend. Queen Nehelenia of the Dark Side of the Moon. The Cursed Queen had come, blood on her hands and curses on her lips.

Queen Selenity sealed her away, back to her own universe, back to the world where Darkness existed without light. She sealed her within the mirror with most of the strength that she had but she could not stop the evil Queen from sending one last curse upon the light. But curse aside, Queen Selenity had sealed her away. She had bid her never to return, and Selene’s word was _law_.

So how had Nehelenia escaped? How had she broken the seal? _How had she come back from the Dark Side of the Moon?_

And how could they have forgotten? How had she forgotten how their ceremony had been interrupted? How could any of them have forgotten such a terrible thing happening on the most important day of their lives? She remembered the day she became Princess Mars like it was only yesterday and yet until the vision she had forgotten that Nehelenia had appeared and cursed the newborn Princess in Queen Selenity’s arms. _How could they have forgotten that the Darkness could only exist within the Light?_

She paced back and forth across the temple and then ran as fast as she could towards Queen Selenity. She needed answers, and she needed them now. When she rapts upon Queen Selenity’s door and it opens only moments later, Mars can tell that the Moon Queen knows something is wrong.

“My Queen,” she says, “Please tell me. Please tell me that Nehelenia is within the mirror, and that my vision is false. Please tell me that I am not a prophet, because it would be better to be a false Priestess and be wrong than to be right.”

Selenity swallows and Mars cries out in distress, “How, My Queen? How did we all forget about the evil that lurked on the other side of the mirror?”

Selenity sits down at her window and looks at the mirror across her room. It’s the mirror from Rhaeye’s vision, the on that Selenity had used as a conduit to lock Nehelenia away. It’s presence seems evil now, foreboding, as though the Queen is watching their every move and their every word as the sit in the Queen’s chamber. There is nothing good near that mirror, and even now, Rhaeye can feel the darkness that seeps from the inconspicuous panes of shined glass.

“My darling Princess Mars, little Rhaeye. It is my fault. I made this mistake as sure as Nehelenia made hers. What I tell you cannot be told to others, cannot be told to Serenity until the time is right. It is not the time now, and only you, the Prophet will know when it should be said.”

Rhaeye looks distressed and whispers, “Your Grace, I cannot lie to Serenity. I vowed that I would not.”

“You did not,” Selenity says forcefully, “You vowed loyalty to your Queen and your Princess. Rhaeye, you cannot speak of this until the time is right. You will know when to tell your sisters what I tell you now. I am fading as we very speak and if I cannot trust you I cannot trust anyone at all. The only other who knows of what I speak is Pluto, and we both know that some gifts come with her unusual position.”

Queen Selenity is of course, talking about the unique powers of Sailor Pluto, who can bend time at her will, and therefore retains every memory of every Pluto before her. Rhaeye is given prophecy, is given knowledge that the gods know to share. But Pluto, Rhaeye shivers, she is given knowledge to carry out the will of the gods, and it is not always in the favor of the Silver Millennium.

Rhaeye hesitates but then gives her word that she will not mention any of what Selenity says until the time comes for her to pass the information on. It kills her inside to know that she is actively lying to her sisters; but she made a vow and she will keep it for honor and for duty.

“Many thousands of years ago, the Light came to the Moon and Selene embraced the Darkness.”

Rhaeye is already taken aback. This is no story that she knows. Selene, the Goddess of the Moon, of light, married the Darkness? The ultimate cold; pure and unrivaled evil?

“Our legends tell of the Goddess Selene crying tears that sprouted our people from the Sea of Serenity and it is true. She did cry tears; but they were not for her lover but for her sister. Her young sister, the Goddess Helene brought the night just as sure as Selene brought the day. But one day, Helene strayed too far from the Moon, far past the place where all life forms. And she awoke something, something evil, something that cannot be named.

“It took control of her, and from then she was the Cursed Goddess. She brought night wherever she went and blotted out the rays of the sun until she arrived back at the Moon. She wanted to rule the night and the day and Selene could not allow it, could not allow her sisters to kill the planet below the Moon that they had protected for eons of life.

“Helene tried to kill Selene by sending a poisoned blade through her chest but they were interrupted by her young niece, the Goddess Aphrodite.”

Rhaeye is stifling her horror because she knows where this is going. She knows the poisoned blade. She knows _who_ Aphrodite was, who she is now. She doesn’t want to hear anymore. She doesn’t want to know. Why did she insist that she had to know? She cannot stop the terror from building and for a moment she wishes she could be just Rhaeye, and not Princess Mars or Sailor Mars. Just Rhaeye.

“And Aphrodite surprised Helene, stole the sword, and ran the Cursed Queen through. It was not enough to save either of them. They were both dying, poisoned by the same blade. Helene bled onto the Moon, and as her lifeblood mixed with Selene’s tears, two crystals were formed from the flowers that had come from Selene’s hair. Two children were born that day, not one. She made Aphrodite promise.”

“How?” Rhaeye whispers, “Where did the other dg?”

“You know the answer to that question,” Selenity said and everything clicks.

“Nemesis. The Black Moon.”

Selenity nodded sadly, “As she was dying, Selene mad Aphrodite promise to protect their children and in her guilt at what she had done, Aphrodite swore that her daughter would forever protect the daughters of her aunt’s line. The two grew together but where Selene embraced the light, Helene shunned it and on her thousandth birthday, as her cousin gave birth to her first daughter and heir, Helene vanished, taking the Black Crystal with her to a planet that mirrors our own, the Black Moon. When Selene found out she laid a spell upon Helene, that her and hers would never step upon the Moon while her daughters still resided there.”

Rhaeye is crying now because it isn’t right. It isn’t fair.

“This evil has been beside us this entire time?” she cries in anguish, “And yet we have done nothing?”

“Nephelenia and I were born in the same year. Almost sisters, perhaps,” Selenity said sadly, and then she continues, “She had never tried to come to the Moon because she was cursed from stepping foot on the Moon. But Serenity’s birth broke the curse and so she came and she laid a curse upon me.”

“How?” Rhaeye demanded, “How did the seal break?”

“Can you not guess?” Selenity asked, with misery on her face.

Rhaeye is silent until comprehension comes, “You left the Moon to have Serenity… Because you prayed to have her at the Cauldron, you had to leave the Moon.”

Selenity starts crying then and Rhaeye is terrified because she has never seen the formidable Moon Queen cry, has never seen her in a moment of weakness, “It was foolish! I thought it was a myth when my mother told me. I did not think that Nehelenia could come when I was gone for such a short period of time. I should have known! I encountered it there, the one that has no light and no love and I thought that I had escaped it but it followed me! Followed _Serenity_. And when she came I did not have the strength to destroy her so I sealed her away. But I could only seal her back to her own realm by reinforcing the same spell that Selene had cast, and it was already fractured, weakened. And… I have never had the control over the Silver Crystal that even now my daughter displays. Serenity has near perfect control over the crystal, where I am like Queen Serene, who barely is able force the stone to bend.”

“So you could not completely recast Selene’s spell,” Rhaeye says in understanding until a look of horror flickers across her face “But that means…” Rhaeye says quietly, “That means that when you were going to betroth Serenity and Prince Diamond-”

“Yes,” Selenity says, “I thought perhaps that the throne itself was cursed and so I left it on the Moon. I surmised that if the Crown disappeared entirely that it could not be cursed at all. Clearly I was incorrect.” Selenity says it so quietly and then Rhaeye shoots up from her seat.

“Then it is broken again!? Neither you or Serenity rule from the Moon. There is nothing but the remains of the palace there! How could you keep this from us? We could have destroyed her years ago, when all of us could transform! If all sixteen of us were together we could have destroyed her, or at least funneled enough strength through you and Serenity to strengthen the spell that Selene cast!”

Selenity begins to weep and the sound kills Rhaeye because she knows she was too harsh with the woman before her. But she just doesn’t understand how Selenity could have made such a grave mistake. “I know. I know I should have but I could not. I was ashamed, am still ashamed that I made such a terrible mistake, that I have signed a warrant to my daughter’s demise. The seal is broken, and it is my own fault. But I cannot seal her away again. I cannot control the Crystal. I can barely bend its will to my own. Serenity is the only one that can seal her away, and it will come soon. They have abandoned Nemesis. They are planning something. She is coming.”

Rhaeye sobs with her Queen then because soon she will be the only one in the world to know that Nehelenia was no myth, and that the curse that was placed upon Selenity has not been broken. She must carry this burden on her own and she thinks it may kill her because she already feels as though she is dying inside.

* * *

It turns out to be vital that Selenity has informed Mars of what she did and the true history of Nehelenia because Selenity fades only a turn after their conversation. Serenity weeps for hours, and the children are unable to comfort her. Sweet Rhaenys, the most peaceful of their children holds her mother for hours but still she can do nothing by cry. The day of the funeral, Serenity sniffs quietly as she allows Selena and Serena to help her into a black dress for mourning. The carriage ride to the beach is long, and Serenity sits in silence next to Rhaegar as their children watch the landscape go by. Even Aegon is silent, and the twins, who are usually the most excitable of her children are uncharacteristically stoic.

They have a traditional Lunarian ceremony on the Valyrian peninsula. Selenity is lying on a boat in her white dress. She wears no jewels, and carries nothing out of the world than what she came into it with. Her guardians, several of which have also faded, are laid in boats beside her. The older Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus are all alive, but they prepare to fade as well. As soon as Serenity leaves, they will leave as well because their vows do not end with death. Before they enter their boats they turn to those who will take up their mantles.

This is the last time they ever transform, and so the ceremony begins. Older Jupiter begins by presenting a green stick and handing it to her daughter. There are no words or tears, just a nod of duty. This happens three times, until Venus the Elder pulls the Holy Blade from her side and she presents her stick and the sword to her daughter. As each Soldier hands over her transformation wand her garb fades into the simple dress of her people and then as one they step into their boats.

They have been together for centuries, and are sisters the way that her guardians are her sisters. She has lost her mother, and her sisters are losing their mothers too. Today is a true day of mourning for all Lunarians.

Serenity knows what happens now, and she sniffles quietly as she holds Aegon tightly in her arms. The boats are sent off one by one until they are floating into the vast ocean. Princess Mars lifts her flaming bow and sends five flaming arrows simultaneously at the boats which burn. They wait as the boats catch aflame and then in the distance they see an array of bright colors flash and the boats are gone. Their mothers are gone. Maybe they are with the gods, or perhaps they are in the Cauldron, where all souls go to be reborn.

Serenity is in pain now, because she just got her mother back, after being without her for so long and now she is gone and will never come back. Because she’s dead. She wants to cry more but she knows she shouldn’t. Her sisters have lost their mothers too and they all stand on the beach, wet with the salty tears of the ocean. Rhaeye kneels and prays and all Serenity can do is weep.

Aegon cries the entire carriage ride back to the palace and Serenity knows it’s because he can tell she is upset. Rhaegar has been quiet but sympathetic. He was without parents himself, and so as Serenity chokes back her tears the entire ride, Rhaegar holds her hand and doesn’t say a word.

That night, as the breeze blows through New Valyria and the tears upon her face begin to dry, she and Rhaegar create new life in death.

* * *

**295.**

The new guardians are celebrating their third name days when the next Princess of Mars is chosen. It is a joyous event, and the young girls get along as well as they could be expected, given their ages.

Princess Jupiter is especially rowdy, and Princess Mars is as somber as her predecessor. Princess Mercury is incredibly shy and likes to hide behind her mother’s skirts, which the young Princess Venus is incredibly unimpressed by. They are all adorable children, and Serenity cannot help but feel guilty that these girls will never have a childhood. They will always have a duty, from the moment they take their vows.

When they all meet Serenity for the first time they are both excited and scared, especially Princess Mars. They put their hands to her belly and are rewarded with a righteous kick from their future charge. Little Mars’s eyes glaze over and then she looks up at Serenity and says in the clearest voice Serenity has ever heard on a child of three, “It’s you. Not her.”

The older Princess Mars can see the apprehension on Serenity’s face and so she leads the young girl away from her sisters while the others continue to play games and try to talk to the future Princess. When they are far enough away Mars kneels to the ground and says, “You cannot tell her yet.”

“Why not?” the raven haired girl questions. It isn’t insubordination in her voice. It’s curiosity, and Rhaeye can see it in her eyes. It’s the same way she had once spoke to the last Sailor Mars, Rhaene.

“She isn’t meant to know yet. Selene will tell you when you are supposed to share your visions, Rhaeya.”

“Oh,” the girl says and then frowns, “I upset her?”

“Her Grace,” Rhaeye corrects patiently. This child must know her place, must know that though she is a Princess now she is not _the_ Princess, “I am sure you did. Do not feel guilty,” she hastens, “Motherhood brings out many worries and I am sure she thought the worst.”

Rhaeya looks hesitant and then hugs Rhaeye tightly, clutching at the Priestess’ long red skirt the same way that Serenity’s children did when they were young. “I miss my mama.”

Rhaeye’s heart clenches because hadn’t she felt the same way? Hadn’t she missed the Red Planet and her mother when she was sent to the Moon? She’d been so jealous that the other girls had had their mothers to teach them, when all she had was a stranger with a similar name. Rhaene was a good enough mentor but Rhaeye had not needed a mentor. She had needed a mother. So there and then, Rhaeye vows she will treat this girl with the kindness she had craved. When this girl takes her vows, she won’t be looking into the eyes of a stranger. Rhaeye will give her the guidance she never had.

When they return to the festivities, Serenity is watching them with thinly veiled concern. She pulls Rhaeye aside and questions her. All Rhaeye can reply is that Rhaeya has not learned how to interpret her visions yet. It puts Serenity at ease and once again Rhaeye has lied to her Queen.

* * *

Rhaegon’s wedding is the most prominent event of the year, even with Rhaena’s wedding closing in. It’s a massive affair, and it takes months to prepare for the event that will overtake all of King’s Landing for an entire turn. Her son is getting married to Elaenna Velaryon. She is the daughter of a noble Valyrian family and a member of a loyal house of the Crownlands that has never done wrong by the Targaryens. Serenity suspects that House Celtigar is jealous of the fact that they will not contribute blood to the next Emporer but they are content in the promise that Jaehaerya will marry a son from their house.

Elaenna is a shy thing, with classic Valyrian looks. She has a wide mouth with straight teeth and a sloping nose that suits her thick eyelashes and kind smile. She is a very sweet girl, and her new family is very pleased with her overall attitude. She takes to the young ones very well, and loves to cuddle with Aegon, even when he is sleeping. Serenity thinks that Elaenna reminds her a bit of herself when she arrived in Westeros and is more than pleased to see the pair make their pledge before the gods. Elaenna is crowned only days later and the Velaryons vow to build more ships so that their grandchild, who will one day be an Emporer, can rule over the entire Known World.

Viserys is painfully jealous because he’s been betrothed to Margaery for years and yet they are still not wed because her moonblood has yet to come. He’s miserable over it, simply because he wants nothing but to love her and although the two have held hands, and even kissed, Margaery spends most of her time at Highgarden, and far from her betrothed’s grasps. Serenity knows that Olenna Tyrell has kept the Rose of Highgarden tucked away in the Reach for this exact reason but she can’t help buy pity Viserys, who is constantly sending ravens all the way to Highgarden.

They host a massive tourney for Rhaegon and Elaenna’s wedding, in which over a thousand men enter to win the top prize of fifty thousand gold dragons and a castle in Essos. But this event is important for more than just a celebration of Rhaegon and Elaenna. With Rhaegar spending most of his time in Essos, Serenity is to keep Westeros content in his absence. The two conspire to watch for unusual activity at the tourney, and Varys little birds keep them fully in the know of everything happening in the Known World.

Tyrion has his eye on his sister Cersei, who has three golden haired children by the executed Hightower. Tywin has remarried her to a cousin of the Tyrells and she looks anything but happy. He knows his sister, and he knows how she is and so he orders the Queen’s handmaidens to alert him of any visitors to the room. Only six days into the tourney Cersei is visited by Lyanna Stark.

Varys and Rhaegar find this odd. “They’ve no connection at all,” Rhaegar says pointedly, “They have nothing in common.”

“Mayhaps they wish to wed their children,” says Varys, “Tywin Lannister would love to put a Lannister in control of two of the Kingdoms.”

“Perhaps,” says Tyrion, “But perhaps not. Lyanna was in there for only minutes, according to Seraphina. Not enough time to broker a marriage, certainly. Is there a particular reason that we cannot just ask Lyanna, Your Grace? The Crown has a strong relationship with the Starks, after all.” They do have a good relationship, even though Ned is purposefully absent from this meeting.

Varys looks at Rhaegar with a glint in his eyes and then Rhaegar turns away, “We will have no contact with Lyanna Baratheon.”

Tyrion doesn’t question it because he assumes that his good-sister and Lyanna are fueding and the matter doesn’t come up again.

Only two turns from Rhaegon’s wedding, Rhaena marries Harold Hardyng, and Rhaenys is formally betrothed to the Duke of Copernicus’ grandson, Jaecenor.

* * *

 

It is painfully hot here. Too hot. He hates it more than anything except for the freezing cold of Nemesis. But even the cold is preferable to this unbearable heat and these idiotic people. Many of his people are gone now, died under the siege. All but the Royal Family, who have escaped South are long deceased to fever and starvation. Diamond cannot say he’s unhappy about it. Ruling is exhausting when the people are as useless as his.

So he has come to the breast of his mother, sought her protection and her wisdom. His sweet, sweet, mother with her soft curls and her wide violet-blue eyes. She is gone now, seeking allies in this dirty place. Sapphire looks just like her, but he, the Crown Prince of Nemesis looks far more like his grandmother. Their beauty has made them gods in this barbaric place and it was easy to take from their ignorant hands.

He is a Prince, yes, but these people worship him as though he rules them. They do anything he says, and anything he commands He has bent their wills to his and there will be nothing standing in the way of complete control over the rest of the Known World. He must take it all if he is to take the one thing that matters the most.

His beautiful Princess Serenity. He thinks about her every moment of everyday. Her long white hair, and piercing silver eyes. Her skin, so smooth and light it looks as though it is a cool glass of fresh milk. And her bosom is finer than that of any he has seen. He knows the color of her dusty peaks and each night when he beds the Lysene whore he thinks of what it would be like to have Serenity. What would their lives be like if her mother had never married her off to that human brute? How could she not see how she ruined her daughter’s beauty?

She would be preserved with him; preserved forever.

* * *

Jaehaerys and Jaehaerya are acutely aware that they will no longer have one younger sibling, but two. Aegon has been the youngest for a while, and while the twins accept that he exists, they are having a very hard time doing the same for their coming sister.

Jaehaerya especially is very unhappy about the prospects of having to share her toys with her new baby sister. Aegon says little but Serenity can tell he is displeased that he will soon have to share both his mother’s time and her teat. But he has gotten on with his cousin, Braedon, Daenerys and Robb’s son. Serenity hopes that will quell his irritation enough that he may be interested in his new sibling rather than jealous. After all, their new daughter would be treated very differently from their other children.

Serenity has tried not to play favorites with her children but has always given a little more love to Rhaenys, who had always been guilty about the circumstances of her birth, and she would spend more time with her new daughter simply because this child would inherit her family’s legacy. She would be Princess of the Silver Millennium, and Princess of Queenscrown. She was different.

Rhaegar is happier than Serenity has seen him in a while. When he is at King’s Landing he enjoys teaching his son how to rule. Their time together has strengthened their bonds. Rhaegar has been an attentive father since Rhaenys had been born, and he tries to teach Rhaegon the important parts of fatherhood because it is only four turns from Rhaegon’s wedding when Elaenna confides happily in her good-mother that she is with child.

She is holding baby Braedon, all red and still squalling with his mother’s violet eyes but his father’s red-brown hair. Elaenna is rocking him in her arms and she smiles so widely when she tells Serenity and Daenerys that her moonblood has not come in three whole turns. She does look a little plump, Serenity thinks, as she congratulates her good-daughter.

It happens in the dead of night two turns later. Serenity is in Rhaegar’s arms, her belly between them. The chill is coming and she is curly next to him so tightly that the sharp knocking on their chambers terrifies her from her sleep. Rhaegar stumbles from their bed as he slips on a robe and they see Ser Oswell has a look in his eyes that Rhaegar does not like. Something terrible has happened. It is the only way they would wake him at this hour.

“It is Her Grace the Princess Elaenna, Your Grace,” Oswell says gravely, “She is…” he looks so pained when he whispers, “Miscarrying.”

Serenity sits up and rushes to put on a heavy robe over her nightgown and doesn’t even bother to tie her hair as she rushes towards her son’s solar. She is still far when she can hear the sobbing and the calm words of Princess Mercury. Ser Arthur is already there and opening the door for her and Serenity wants to cry at what she sees.

Rhaegon is an even tempered young man but he looks keenly distressed and sensing his upset, Rhaegar pulls his son from the room as Princess Mercury tries to treat the new princess. There is nothing Serenity can do but to hold her good-daughter as this _thing_ is expelled from her womb. It has scales, and is partially transformed and Serenity weeps for Elaenna because although she and Rhaegar have never lost a child she can imagine the pain.

Elaenna is sobbing while she tearfully names her partially formed son, “Daeron,” she whispers, for the young dragon knight. Princess Mercury wraps him in the cloth that Elaenna had painstakingly embroidered and tells the kingsguard to prepare a pyre and ring the bells for what should have been the next crown prince. Serenity and Daenerys hold the young woman as she cries and cries.

Serenity realizes she cannot think of what it feels like to lose a child because each of her pregnancy gave her a child.

In the joy of Rhaena’s wedding and the mourning of Elaenna’s miscarriage, Serenity can feel her daughter dropping. She’s close to the birth now, and Serenity is both excited and scared. One day this little Princess will be a Queen, will wield the most powerful force in the universe.

It is her own name day only days after her grandson is lost when she feels the sharp pains in her side. The air is cold, and the Keep has a draft that seems to linger. It is winter now and this birthing is painful. It is long, and hard, and it takes far more time and energy than it took to have Aegon. But as she gives a last cry of exhausted pain she has a new daughter and she can feel it.

She can feel _something_. It’s a warmth. Not of motherhood, but of power. This daughter will be Selene. There is a hum in the air, as though there is true contentment. Her child is at her breast and as she looks into her silver eyes, and feels her downy white hair she knows.

“Selene,” she whispers when Rhaegar finally enters the chamber, “This is Selene the VIII.”

Rhaegar seems to put on the appearance of being happy but he looks troubled. He is perhaps thinking the same thing that she is. There can only be Selene and her heir or Selene and her mother.

As soon as their newborn daughter marries and has children, Serenity will fade. It’s a painful thought, and it is something that he has had in the back of his mind since he had first learned of it. Her people were immortal, and here she was, their Queen. Without immortality.

But Serenity doesn’t seem to care the way that he does. She kisses her daughter and coos at her gummy smile. She proudly shows her to the rest of their children and gives Rhaegon the biggest kiss when he and Jaehaerys promise to take care of their baby sister.

Rhaegar thinks this is a good thing. Selene will need more love from her siblings and her mother because Rhaegar promises not to love her. He will love her even less than he loves Rhaenys because he knows that one day, Selene’s guardians will send a flaming arrow to a boat holding his wife’s corpse and she will burn. Her daughter will be her demise, and their marriage will be over.

* * *

 

The wind is howling when Saturn’s letters finally reach King’s Landing. The Princess of Death has been successful, and is able to report that she has taken the Far East almost single handedly. She had gone with the smallest army, one made up of only her own footmen and had gotten the cities to willingly bend the knee.

Rhaegar is amazed that Saturn has done this without killing anyone at all. When he tells the Small Council, his wife’s guardians are unsurprised.

“That is surely a feat,” Ned points out, “We did not manage that in any other city.”

“It is,” Venus says, “But it is to be expected that Saturn could accomplish such a thing. She is quite talented.”

Rhaegar wants to shiver at the mention of Saturn’s talents because he _knows_ how deadly she is. The Soldier of Silence did not often use her powers but when she did it was a force to be reckoned. She is young, the same age as Viserys and behind her violet eyes Rhaegar swears he sees true death. Rhaegar still remembers the devastating eruption of her power at the Wall and how it had killed over a dozen Walkers in a single blow.

“Then Essos is conquered,” Petyr says, “You are an Emperor, Your Grace, of two continents.”

“Then we must still conquer Sothoryos,” Jon Arryn comments, “But that should not be difficult.”

“Aye,” Ned agrees, “Princess Neptune has been controlling the seas between us and them. They should fold without much problem.”

That is when Princess Mars intercepts, “No,” she whispers, “That is not the case.” She must speak now, before this farce becomes so deep that it becomes folly.

Venus’ eye twitches in the way that Mars has become quite familiar with. It is the face she makes when she knows something, when she can tell something is wrong and she looks at Princess Mars with _something_ , “You know something. Do share, sister.” It is a command and Princess Mars sighs because it’s going to come out now.

“Serenity should be here for this,” Mars begins, “It pertains to her.”

Rhaegar’s eyes crinkle and he sends Ser Arthur to retrieve his wife. He does not want any prophecies about his wife, any at all. She has sacrificed enough already because of prophecies. He pushes that thought out of his head because if he ponders on it long enough he will remember why he cannot bare to look at Rhaenys.

When Serenity arrives, she is concerned. Very infrequently does she sit in on council meetings. She can only think of a dozen times where she has, in fact. It’s not that she isn’t interested in affairs of the state, but that her attentions are usually focused elsewhere – like on the orphan children in Flea Bottom.

Mars looks around the room and then pulls out a dagger. Ser Barristan goes for his sword, but Venus stops him. “Peace,” Mars says, “We must take a blood oath that this information will not leave this room.”

The guardians all put their hands out and then the members of the Small Council holds theirs out hesitantly. Serenity and Rhaegar also put their hands out and the blood drips into a bowl.

“You must swear not to speak of this with anyone outside of this room.”

They all agree, and the blood oath takes hold.

“It will perhaps be bloody to conquer Sothoryos,” Mars begins, “Because our enemy is there.”

“Diamond?” Rhaegar spits angrily, “That is all the more reason to take the continent.”

“Yes,” Mars says but then she pauses, “But there is another enemy. Far more dangerous.”

“Out with it,” Venus coaxes, “We cannot win this battle unless we know what you are speaking of, Rhaeye.”

Mars sighs and then sits next to Serenity as though all the problems in the world are on her shoulders. “Before Queen Selenity faded I had a vision. A terrible vision indeed, and one that reminded me of the day we took our oaths.”

Jupiter frowns, “That was a glorious day.”

“Was it?” Mars questions, “Think hard, sisters. Remember what truly transpired that day.”

Mercury’s brows crease at the same time the Venus gasps, “How-”

“We were made to forget,” Mars says, “Or so the Queen told me. They sealed our memories of her, but it’s weakened now that Queen Selenity is faded.”

“Who?” Ned asks and several others in the room are glad he has questioned what the women are speaking of.

“When the Moon became the Moon there was not one but two. The Dark Moon.”

“Nemesis,” Serenity supplies, “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Our own lore tells us that Selene wept upon the moon for her lover slain and out came Selene I. But in fact, it was not a lover who was slain, nor was it solely tears that wet the Sea of Serenity. It was the blood of Selene’s sister, who all from Nemesis can claim progeny.”

“But-But,” Mercury stammers, “That isn’t what is in the books. Nemesis is not-”

“Our history was rewritten because Helene’s heirs have been banned from stepping upon the Moon. But we are not on the Moon.”

“You think Nehelenia is Helene,” Venus says bluntly.

“Who is Nehelenia?” Jon Arryn questions curiously but also alarmed with how white the Soldiers have gone.

“She is the Cursed Queen,” Venus says. “I remember now, what happened the day we took our vows. There was an uninvited guest. She came, and she laid a curse upon Queen Selenity and then she was sealed away into the Queen’s mirror. How could she have escaped?”

“But it was not truly a mirror,” Mars says, “The mirror represents the other side and was simply a foci to repair an older seal. The realm the Nemesis exists within is a mirror of our own. So truly, Queen Selenity sealed her back to her own planet. But that seal has been broken, the same way it was broken before.”

“Because we are not on the Moon,” Serenity whispers through bloodless lips, “She has escaped?” Suddenly Serenity feels terrified for her new daughter, terrified that Nehelenia has come to curse her daughter the same way she cursed her mother.

“Then we assassinate her,” Petyr says forcefully, “We must have a plan. I could send for the tears of Lys.”

“We cannot,” says Mars, “For there are other forces at play. Queen Nehelenia has complete control over the Dark Crystal in a way that none of her predecessors have. And the curse she left is still active.”

“What curse?” Rhaegar asks, “How can it still be active? My good-mother is faded.”

Mars can feel the tears welling in her eyes and she looks at Serenity and Serenity knows. “The curse involves me.”

“I could not tell you or your mother would go to the Gods with fear in her heart. Nehelenia cursed your mother, my sister.” She takes a deep breath and recites,

“ _Three curses I Lay Upon Your Throne_

_As true as the words of the wise crone_

_One to die before your heir is grown_

_To kiss and cry before she is shown_

_Two to lose all that you have known_

_In Fire and Ice when Venus is blown_

_Three to turn your Kingdom into stone_

_To die too young, in fear and alone._ ”

The room is silent. No one wants to speak about what they have heard.

Serenity breaks her silence and asks “Nehelenia cursed my mother to die?”

“Yes,” Mars says with sadness in her voice, “And it worked. She died before you were crowned, the Silver Millennium is ended, and the Moon Kingdom is lost.”

Serenity chokes on her tears. How had this happened? How had Nehelenia ruined them all so thoroughly? She must say her piece now. She must speak. Serenity swallows and then looks up, “There’s more.”

Mars turns to Serenity and she knows what she is about to say. Something they have hidden since Serenity came to Rhaeye crying about her dream in the middle of the night.

“I had a dream many moon ago that woke me from my slumber and that I have never forgotten. I saw a vision of Selene who warned me that Chaos was coming.”

At her words the guardians all hiss and say a silent blessing above their hearts.

“Who?” Qarlten demands.

“It is not a who,” Serenity says, “It just is. Chaos is the bringer of death, of evil, of true darkness.”

“So, we are fighting not one enemy but three?” Ned asks, “Those are not good odds.”

“No,” Serenity says, “If my dream is to be believed, Chaos is now Nehelenia. They are one in the same, now.”

“Then she is even more dangerous than expected,” says Mercury, “We should be wary.”

“How can she be both?” Ned wonders, not particularly understanding what he has been told.

“I’ll explain,” Serenity interjects as Mars opens her mouth, “All of life comes from a single fixed place in the universe. It’s called Sagittarius Zero. It’s at the opposite end of this galaxy. When life ends it is reborn there and when live begins it starts there. It’s where I was born.”

Rhaegar knows this story now, because Serenity had once told him that her mother had gone there to beg the gods to give her a child.

“My mother went there many years ago to ask for me. She stood at the cauldron and asked the Celestials to give her a life and they gave her me. But just as I come from there, so does everything else.”

“Where there is light there is also the dark,” Mars mutters ominously and Serenity breaths in deeply.

“How could this have been kept from us for so long? How could they do this?” Venus finally rages, “We are threatened by the Cursed Queen and yet we have not the information we need until now?”

“We must stand against her,” Rhaegon says, “If we want lasting peace we must crush her.”

The council meeting is adjourned with plans to take Sothoryos and end Nehelenia.

That night Serenity dreams again, but of another prophecy, of another curse.

* * *

 

**296.**

The only thing that stops Serenity from falling into the pits of gloom over her mother’s passing and the threat of Nehelenia is the wedding of Viserys and Margaery. It is especially cold now, but the pair marry across the Narrow Sea in Valyria.

It is an extravagant ceremony that Mace Tyrell insists upon paying for a large portion of. Rhaegar rolls his eyes at this, because truly in his mind it doesn’t matter who pays for the wedding. But Mace is nothing if not a bumbling fool who desires clout over everything else, so Rhaegar allows him what he wants even if that means dancers from Yi Ti and fire breathers from Asshai. After all, Mace Tyrell’s gold dragons had paid for an entire fleet of ships. The Northerners had sent timber to the Neptunians, who built superior warships. And Mace Tyrell had paid a pretty coin, likely vying for a seat on the council as Master of Ships or perhaps he is hoping for their house to become a Princeship. It is obviously a worthless idea, as Lucerys Velaryon had served his father well, had served him well, and his son Monford is as talented as his father had been. But the Tyrells don’t need to know that their money will be fruitless in securing a Tyrell on the Small Council. The only member of the family that Rhaegar believes would be useful is the Queen of Thorns herself, who he knows is faking being half blind and half deaf to fool the enemies of House Tyrell.

Margaery has truly bloomed into the Rose of Highgarden. She’d been a pretty girl, but she was now a beautiful young woman and judging by how eagerly Viserys kisses her when they wed, he agrees.

Olenna Tyrell is deliriously pleased with the match, as only a week after the wedding, Viserys is crowned King of New Valyria, the title that his good-sister’s mother had had before she passed. Olenna certainly recognizes that Rhaegar has no plans to elevate House Tyrell to a Princeship the way that Dorne had long kept their title. After all, Rhaegar had not made the Velaryons a royal house. If rumors are true then his lovely good-daughter, Elaenna will soon bear him his first grandchild who he will wed to the issue of Viserys and Margaery.

Rhaegar cannot think of any other time when the Great Houses have submitted to his family so thoroughly aside from Aegon the Conqueror. But this is _his_ Empire. He is the High King of Westeros and Essos. And he hasn’t truly seen half of the lands that he lords over.

But they are his, and one day they will be Rhaegon’s.

His legacy was achieved in fire and blood, and when they take Sothoryos there will only ever be peace.

* * *

It was a beautiful wedding, the brunette thinks as she crosses the Narrow Sea with her son.

“Mother,” Jon asks, “Would it be acceptable for me to leave now? The crew have said they will teach me how to navigate waters.”

“Aye,” Lyanna says and her son promptly leaves. As soon as the door closes her smile drops.

What an annoying boy, an annoying ship, and an annoying world. This place is nothing. It is so dirty, and unkempt. And the worst part about this ridiculous planet is that it is absolutely filled to the brim with _mortals_!

Lyanna turns to her mirror and then blinks hard and her features completely change. Gone is the dark brown hair and grey eyes that are a known Stark trait and in their place is violet eyes and jet black waves. A long face is now a heart shaped one.

Lyanna is a beauty but Nehelenia is a goddess.

Nehelenia hates this disguise but it is truly useful. Pitiful Lyanna Stark Baratheon had gone off in a carriage to take a trip home from the Moon Bitch’s side as a lady at court and Nehelenia had intercepted her on the way. As soon as she had devoured Lyanna from soul to bone she had seduced Robert Baratheon to do her complete bidding and then set off back to King’s Landing where she had enticed her enemy’s husband. High on a fertility potion she had taken him. He hadn’t stood a chance, and in the beginning he had been very unwilling. But she took him and when he became aware and banished her back to Storm’s End she had smiled politely knowing that she had leverage.

She had their son. Jon hadn’t the faintest idea that he was Rhaegar’s son, and had no idea that he was truly a Prince in his own right. Jon was unimportant, truly. He was plain, uninteresting, boring. He had too much belief in honor and rules and no mind for politics or ambition. Even when she had thought her plan to marry him to the Moon-Bitch’s daughter to ruin her life a bit more he had been uninterested. He’d thought it was for strengthening their ties to the throne, but truly she wanted to lure one of the Moonspawn to her castle where she could slit her throat and then send the Moon-Bitch her head sewn to the corpse of a dragon. Such a pity it didn’t work out.

Nehelenia sneers at the thought of her other sons. One was a weak fool and the other was too pacifistic. Diamond had fallen for the Moon Bitch’s charms and though she knew he was too weak to ever defy her, he coveted what he could not have and that made him both arrogant and foolish. Sapphire was no better, as he had no desire for them to leave the safety of Nemesis. A memory charm had made him more pliable.

 _Soon_ she thinks as she devours several of the servants whole, _Soon, I will have my revenge._

* * *

 

The Sacred Flame had been dark for too long. It worries Princess Mars because she knows that they are not without enemies. Has Selene forsaken them? Or has she lost her connection with the Sacred Flame now that a new Princess Mars is come?

The young girl has a strong connection with the Flame and they spend hours together in front of it, where Rhaeye teaches Rhaeya how to interpret her visions. Rhaeya suffers from migraines, and Rhaeye remembers when the visions were so strong and so painful that she thought her head was splitting in two in agony. Rhaeya is in misery and one day she slams her hand near the Sacred Flame and there is blood and the fire _burns_.

She has never heard of a shared vision, had never shared a vision with the last Princess Mars. But she and Rhaeya are together now, sharing a vision that Rhaeye is both glad to have received but ill at ease at the thought of.

_There is blood everywhere and it is running as freely as the elixir they drink. The bodies around them are melting, as though they have no more skin and are nothing but sacks of flesh. And there is Nehelenia, as dark as the night she brings._

_Venus is dying, and as Nehelenia laughs the world burns._

_Everything burns._

_The world is cold now, and as Mars watches Nehelenia fall to the fire she sees her Queen. Serenity is as beautiful as ever and she is a vision in white but she is stained with the blood of their people. She glides to Mars and puts a flower in her hair, as she holds a silver blooded child in her arms._

_“It is me. Not her.”_

_And the words shake Rhaeye to her core. She has heard those words before and although this is her first time in this vision, Rhaeya looks unphased. This is certainly what Rhaeya had seen many moons ago. She had seen this death, and this destruction and already knew the horror to come._

_The crown upon Serenity’s head is gleaming, even as it begins to melt and Serenity is sitting, lying on her throne as she reaches out towards Rhaeye. But then she is running, past a heart tree, through a lake, onto the beaches of Valyria._

_When she turns around Serenity is holding her hands to a wound in her chest. There is so much blood and Rhaeye is terrified. This is the first time she’s had such a vision, a vision of her charge dying. Serenity looks her in the eyes and then lifts her hands away to show the blood on her hands._

_“It is me. Not her,” she whispers again as a small white haired girl dances around them, lotuses in her hair._

_A white light appears as everyone drowns in the fire and ice and Rhaeye hears Serenity scream_.

The vision is over and Rhaeye is sick. She vomits as Rhaeya watches impassively.

Rhaegar Targaryen was not the Prince who was Promised and the destruction of the Others was not the War of the Dawn.

The true battle for the Light had yet to come.

* * *

The voyage starts in the early hours. Winter has spread to the south and the ships are leaving the crownlands in a long line. Princess Neptune has overseen the building of thirty long ships that will hold thousands of soldiers who will fight in the coming war against Nehelenia. She is what lies south of the sea, and so Princess Neptune changes the tides. She pulls the waters in their favor, sends storm after storm at Sothoryos. She hopes to tire them out, exhaust their resources, and press enough strain so that they will be more easily defeated.

They must bend them before they can break them, and destroy Nehelenia before she gathers the supplies and manpower she needs to launch a full scale attack at Essos and Westeros.

The Dragons are out for blood, and Rhaegar himself joins in the journey to take the last of the Known World. Rhaegon and Viserys are also on the backs of their dragons, and further behind, Daenerys and Rhaena have refused to stay behind in King’s Landing with Serenity and the youngest of the children.

The Ironborn are sailing towards the Summer Islands already, and the Neptunians with their sea-like adaptations need no ship to swim towards the southernmost continent.

And they are met in glorious battle.

Their longboats are no surprise to their southern neighbors who have met them in long ships with large metal bolts attached to them. Rhaegar knows what they are immediately and calls to his children to mind the machines that are going to send metal spears that could pierce their dragons. Over the ocean, a dragon falling would mean the death of one of his family members, and a large wave that could put their entire fleet off balance.

Rhaegar decides that he will attack from behind. From the skies he can see that far under the water the Neptunians are swimming at extreme speeds and as they reach the enemy ships he releases the hottest dragonfire he can manage from Balerion. From below the ships, the Neptunians are safe in the water and when the fire ends they board the remaining ships and begin hand to hand contact.

This signals the Ironborn to make their way to shore where they can board the islands and take every bit of the continent that they can. They must make their way to a palace, one that Mars had seen in a vision that she says that Nehelenia and Diamond have been living within for some time.

He will send his sword through their skulls and will not feel an ounce of regret for his actions. They will bleed. They will _die_.

Rhaegar Targaryen is the Emperor of the Known World by the time the dawn rises.

He should have wondered why taking the continent was so very easy.

Too easy.

* * *

 

Across the sea and at the same time that Rhaegar is taking Sothoryos, Prince Diamond is plotting his final plan. His ship arrives late in the night to a near empty port at King’s Landing. He has bribed a smuggler who provides him with the things he needs to make this mission possible. It must be now. The Westerosi are distracted. They are off conquering Sothoryos.

He scoffs when he thinks of the place. Dirty, with disgusting half men looking creatures. The destruction of the continent he had spent the last year on meant little to him. Nemesis was his home.

 _Serenity was his home_.

He knows that the pitiful man that Serenity married is off fighting, because he knows that they believe he is in Sothoryos. She will be unprotected, unguarded save for the whore guardians that follow her every move. But he has brought the Spectre Sisters and they are a distraction. They will engage the Sailor Soldiers in battle and while their attention is turned, he will sneak into the fortress and take what should have been his. What was _rightly_ his.

She had been promised to him and now he would have her.

Getting in is simple with the help of his golden haired lover. His third eye allows him to take complete control over even the most strong-willed of men. So when he encounters a man in a white cloak who wields a sword of shining metal he ensnares him in moments. Ser Arthur Dayne is nothing but his puppet now, and he warns the Prince each time they encounter someone who might be a problem. By the time they have reached the Queen’s chambers, Prince Diamond has taken over two dozen men and women under his control.

As he stops in front of the door he savors exactly what is about to happen. He is about to get the thing that he has desires the most and has always desired the most.

He turns to the violet eyed man and smiles so eerily that the man blinks, “You will cut down any who approach this room. When I leave here with Serenity you will guide us to safety.”

Ser Arthur assents and stands, stony in front of the Queen’s quarters.

Diamond does not even knock when he shoves Serenity’s doors open. The Queen sits up immediately and Diamond relishes the look of fear on her face. How could she not have predicted this? How could they not realize that the invasion of Sothoryos was simply a distraction meant to keep them occupied while the true war was waged?

She is different than she once was. Her hair is longer, and instead of the snow white hair she had had before her hair has turned to frosty silver. It was the same silver that her mother’s hair had been, and Diamond knew that this particular shade of shocking silver came from use of the Silver Crystal. Her eyes are the same sharp silver but her bosom is heavier, and her back seems straighter, somehow. And she is looking at him, looking at him with such fierce loathing that it sets his loins aflame.

Beside her a toddler is sleeping. Diamond guesses that it is Aegon, his love’s youngest son, and in her arms is her youngest daughter, who his spies tell him is named Selene. So she’s the Moon Princess, then. It is no matter to him. He cares not if his wife has other children, only that she gives him a son to continue their line.

Diamond closes the door and points a knife at her toddler son before Serenity can open her mouth to call for the guards.

“Don’t scream, my love,” he says, “It will do you no good.”

She is glaring at him with those eyes and Diamond is mesmerized. How beautiful she looks even in her rage.

“Diamond,” she spits, “Why are you here?”

“Silly Moon Queen,” Diamond purrs as he takes a seat on the bed beside her, “You know why I am here. I have come to take what is rightfully mine.” He pulls the sleeping boy fully into his arms, holding the knife dangerously close to Aegon’s neck.

“Nothing here is rightfully yours,” the silver haired woman responds acidly, “You would do well to leave before Princess Jupiter arrives and fries you to death with cursed lightning!”

Diamond leans down taking a heady look at her and then looks at her son with eyes that linger too long and make Serenity a bit more afraid.

“She won’t come. No one will come, my Serenity.”

“Rhaegar will come and he will kill you,” Serenity bluffs and then she clutches Selene tighter when Diamond laughs boisterously.

“We both know that isn’t true, Serenity. He’s off at war. They all are. No one will save you, now. Your knight is at the door with orders to kill anyone who comes. Do you want to see your precious handmaidens die if you call for them?”

Serenity glares at him hard and that's when Diamond knows he has her. The beautiful moonflower will never allow someone else to die on her behalf. It is simply not in her nature.

“Dress,” Diamond demands, as he takes Aegon from his mother’s reach, “Or your son dies.”

Serenity looks at him with such hate that Diamond is surprised that she stands up, throws her trousseau open and hides behind a screen to pull on her gown. As she pulls on a fur cloak she shoves the knife that had come with her midnight lemon cake up her sleeve.

He can see the outline of her body from the other side of the screen, and reminds himself that soon he will hold her breasts in his hands.

She is carrying Selene on her chest and is silently angry as they leave her chambers and Ser Arthur leads them towards a secret passageway. This is her only chance to escape. If he brings her back to Nemesis, he will pull the planet from orbit and she will have no way to safely return. But she must get Aegon from his arms first. She will not leave her child behind to die at this monster’s hands.

As if on command, Aegon begins to fuss and cry and hearing her brother’s cries, Selene begins to quietly sniff and then starts wailing.

Diamond hold the boy out in his arms, “Shut up, brat!” he’s shaking Aegon and Serenity starts pulling on Diamond’s cloak. This is her chance. If she makes her move now she can perhaps stop the White Prince’s plan before they leave the safety of the Red Keep.

“Please! He doesn’t know, please! I will take him! Give him to me, please. Please,”

Diamond looks at her suspiciously, no doubt realizing that if he gives up Aegon he loses quite a bit of his leverage. But he wants the boy to stop screaming so he shoves him to Serenity who pulls him to the ground as she adjusts the sling that is holding Selene.

“Aegon,” she says over his cries, “ _Egg_ ,” she says more forcefully, “You must be silent now.”

He hiccups before nodding his head, “Mama, who?”

Serenity ignores him, “You must be brave now, Egg.”

Diamond is tapping his feet impatiently and he is just within reach. Just a little bit closer and-

“Mama, who?”

Serenity flinches and then looks to her son, “This is Prince Diamond, my love.” She says no more. She does not want to scare him.

Diamond takes a step closer but Serenity has no desire to scar her youngest son for life and she says quietly, “Egg, I need you to do something for me. Can you do this?”

Aegon nods eagerly. He _always_ wants to please his mama, because she kisses him and gives him the biggest smiles and cuddles him when he is sad because Jaehaerys is teasing him. He would do _anything_ his mother asks.

“I need you to cover your eyes and not move them until I say so.”

Aegon obediently covers her eyes and then Serenity leans forward to give her son a kiss on the head and as she does so she drops the blade into her hand and slices the only place within reach.

In her early lessons with Princess Venus she had been taught several ways to defend herself and Diamond’s pained scream tells Serenity she has done exactly what she meant to when she sliced his thigh.

There’s so much blood and the screaming terrifies Aegon so much he starts crying and asking what’s happened. Diamond wants to retaliate, and he is opening his third eye but leaning down to grab his thigh has put him at the height Serenity needs. Ser Arthur is impassive and so Serenity stabs the knife straight into the White Prince’s demon eye. He screams in agony and then in the next breath he is dead with his brains seeping from his eye.

As he breathes his last breath, Ser Arthur becomes aware and is frighteningly asking Serenity if she is okay, what has happened and all she can do is hold her children and weep.

* * *

 

It takes an entire fortnight for Rhaegar to return to King’s Landing. He has been out of touch, establishing power in Sothoryos. Most importantly, he has been searching for Nehelenia. But she is nowhere to be found.

Pluto is tight lipped and Rhaegar knows that Pluto knows exactly where Nehelenia is but is refusing to share. It infuriates Rhaegar, and he spends countless hours trying to convince Pluto to reveal what she knows by reminding her that it is Serenity’s life that hangs on the line. Pluto seems to not hear a word he is saying.

When he returns to King’s Landing he is horrified by what he sees and hears. The Sailor Soldiers went up against a powerful enemy – the Spectre Sisters and very nearly lost. During that battle, Serenity was nearly abducted by Prince Diamond and then his wife was forced to murder the man. In front of their children. King’s Landing is in shambles. Whole neighborhoods are destroyed in the battle between the Sisters and the Sailor Soldiers. Countless smallfolk are dead and it is all Rhaegar can do to keep the grieving rioters at bay.

All Serenity does is cry and Rhaegar knows that she is not mourning the death of Prince Diamond but mourning the death of her innocence. Serenity had never killed a person in her life, and truly had not even had designs to hurt another. After all, he and Rhaella had come up with the plans to remove Aerys and Serenity had just cried silently and agreed to support her husband in fear of losing their firstborn child.

But according to Ser Arthur, Serenity had brutally killed Prince Diamond. Rhaegar wants to be happy that the madman is dead but truly he feels very little. His wife is unhappy, and he himself is in pain for the fact that she is in pain. His son Aegon has not spoken since the event, perhaps traumatized by the sound of a man dying. Still, Nehelenia is still a threat. Diamond is neutralized but they have no less enemies than when they started save for the White Prince.

Worst of all, Rheagar feels crippling guilt that Diamond even got close enough to his wife to cause her this pain. She was supposed to be safe in King’s Landing, protected by knights, her guardians, and the dragons of her children. How had Diamond managed to get into the Red Keep? Serenity and Ser Arthur surmise it was with the aid of his third eye but Rhaegar is still wary.

They are missing a piece of this puzzle, and Rhaegar knows that if they don’t find it soon, their lives may all be forfeit.

It is quiet now, almost too quiet. Rhaegar controls the world. He is not a king but an Emperor, yet still Nehelenia has not been found. What use is power if he cannot use it the way he wants? What use is being the ruler of the world if he cannot protect his wife? Protect his family? Protect his people?

Nehelenia is a threat, and a dangerous one at that. She is more than just something that lingers in his mind. She is something that looms over him, looms over Serenity. The Sailor Soldiers are even worried. That alone tells him that he should be wary. But he refuses to be afraid, for he is the blood of the dragon. He is the Prince who is Promised. He is the one who will defeat the dark.

But there is still a shadow looming over him, looming over everyone. The Martian astrologers say that there will be an astral phenomenon that will terrify the smallfolk.

The Moon will turn red.

The Martians are not happy about this. Out of every planet they had been the least open to leaving their sacred land, and some of the Martian prophets believe that the soil of the Moon is poisoned because it has been forsaken.

Rhaegar notices that Princess Mars does not correct them.

* * *

 

It takes days for the blood moon to occur and the smallfolk riot in the streets over the omen in the sky. The Sailor Soldiers, Kingsguard and all the knights in King’s Landing are especially watchful for lootings and rioting in the days of the lunar eclipse. Serenity watches from her window as the light of the blood moon turns the cherry blossoms an eerie red. From her side she swears she sees movement from the corner of her eye but when she turns there is no one there. So she climbs out onto her balcony and begins to take the hidden stairs down towards the godswood within the Red Keep. She does not keep the old gods, but her favorite greens are here and it is a moment of clarity for her. Her children are asleep, and her husband is preoccupied. She needs a walk under the moon, as unsightly and unsettling as it is. The godswood is peaceful. It is nothing like anywhere else. Her favorite grove of moonflowers are here, planted by her husband as an anniversary gift many years before.

She is content. Until she sees Lyanna Baratheon. Her face falls. She does not want to see this woman, does not want to have to speak to the woman who seduced her husband from their marriage bed. Serenity is stiff, but Lyanna seems oddly relaxed.

“Serenity,” Lyanna says and Serenity takes a confused step towards the Northern beauty. Lyanna has never called her by her name, never broken formality as wild as she is.

“Lady Baratheon,” Serenity says evenly, deciding not to fight with the woman. She must exit now, because she is so uncomfortable. Her hair is standing on end. This is wrong. So, so, wrong.

“I was wondering if you would be foolish enough to leave your sanctuary on this night,” Lyanna says, her face shining in the moonlight.

Serenity frowns and begins to open her mouth at the impudence but Lyanna speaks again. “Your mother was just as foolish. She should have known not to leave the Moon. She was not nearly as wise as she thought she was.”

Serenity is angry now and spits, “How dare you speak of her that way? You are speaking of the Queen Mother. It is treacherous to speak ill of the dead!”

But Lyanna just laughs, “You are no queen of mine, dear Selene.”

And the way she says it gives Serenity chills. Lyanna is advancing, coming closer and her hair is growing, her face is changing and she is becoming something new. She is something else.

Her laughter is grating and Serenity is worried now. Something is wrong. This is not Lyanna Baratheon.

“Who-”

“Can you not guess?” the woman laughs, “You were looking for me for so long and yet you do not know what I look like? We are two sides of the same coin, sweet Selene.”

Serenity is jarred and takes an alarmed step back, “Ne-Nehelenia?”

She smiles so widely that her blood red lips uncover her razor sharp teeth and the Cursed Queen looks towards the bloody moon and then to Serenity.

“It is my night, sweet Selene. The Blood Moon is cursed, as I am cursed. As you are cursed.”

There is no knight to guard her, no soldier to save her. She is alone with the great evil. This woman is not Prince Diamond, driven to stupidity by lust. She cannot trick Nehelenia. Nehelenia has a single goal in mind. All she wants is to take the Silver Crystal and kill Serenity. And no one is coming to save her. The ground has been shaking, and she can hear the dragons shrieking. Something is happening on the water and there is fire along the horizon. Nehelenia has done something, has attacked King’s Landing with the might of Nemesis.

“Lyanna is such a boring woman,” Nehelena sighs, “Wearing her face was the least interesting thing I’ve done in six hundred years, truly,” But she turns towards Serenity so maliciously that Serenity’s hairs stand on end, “Except taking what you loved the most. There was nothing more satisfying.”

Serenity’s eyes widen and she understands. “You-”

“Yes,” Nehelenia says in a serpentine hiss, “ _Me_. You didn’t think your precious dragon boy would willingly take another to bed?” she cackles, “I took him, you stupid whore. And it was sweet, sweeter than many of the lovers that I had. But he gave me Jon.” Nehelenia sneers, “Useless boy. Unlike the one _you_ murdered.”

This is when Serenity knows there is no way out of this confrontation. Nehelenia had figured out that Serenity had been the one to kill Diamond, and there was no way that the Cursed Queen would forgive the murder of her son.

“You could have been great, you know,” Nehelenia says as she wanders around the clearing of the godswood, “But you are as weak as your mother. Too light, too good. What does the light do for any of us?”

Serenity angers at that, and in an uncharacteristically strong voice she replies, “Light makes love! And love is no weakness, Nehelenia. Love is the strength that will allow me to defeat you.”

Serenity expected something, anything, except for the hysterical laughter that came from the Queen of the Dark Moon. “You cannot defeat me, child. You are nothing. You are no one.”

“I am Selene,” Serenity says, eyes aflame in anger.

“You are nothing without your protection. You are nothing but a weak, scared little girl trying to be a god. You will die this night, that I promise on my blood.”

And the battle has begun. Nehelenia has sent the darkest energy that Serenity has ever felt directly at her and Serenity barely has time to call upon her scepter to try to deflect some of the energy. It is crushing, imposing, and old. Nehelenia has lived longer, has been one with the Dark Crystal for centuries. And she is Chaos now, the ultimate evil. This is hate like Serenity has never felt, and in her horror Serenity realizes that the darkness feels like pleasure, the way that Rhaegar’s tongue feels between her legs.

Serenity cannot hope to defeat the first evil itself and as the thinks this her resolve begins to weaken and her arms begin to wobble under the immense pressure of Nehelenia’s darkness. How could she keep herself safe from its seduction? And as she thinks this her scepter shatters and the energy hits her and she crashes straight into a tree. Everything hurts. Blood is seeping from her nose and the terrible cramping that has begun in her womb tells her that her child is bleeding out onto the ground. The pain is so horrendous that her mind goes blank and Serenity thinks this may be the moment she dies.

But all hope is not lost. Mars has come, and she is sending flaming arrow after arrow to her sisters to warn them of the great evil as she tries to protect Serenity against Nehelenia. But she is nothing compared to the Evil Queen and Serenity watches as Nehelenia grabs Mars by the throat, lifts her and pushes an arrow she caught from the skies straight through Mars’ throat. All Serenity hears is a gurgle and she watches as Sailor Mars’ uniform becomes the priestess robes of Rhaeye and her lifeless body is thrown to the floor, blood flooding the grounds of the weeping heart tree.

“Annoyances,” Nehelenia says as she licks the blood from her fingers, gorging herself on the life she just devoured, “All of them. Worthless. Just like you. They are nothing. I’ll kill them all and make you watch. Then I’ll fuck your husband and slit all your children’s throats while I eat his corpse. And then I’ll kill you, slowly, so you can feel what it is like to die.”

Serenity prays and prays, wishing for something, anything, wishing for strength. The white pillar is across the sea but in her mind’s eye she can feel it pulsating, can feel the Crystal granting her desire -

And she hears the screech of a dragon. Balerion has arrived with Rhaegar on his back. She is saved! He is her strength, Serenity knows, and though she does not need a man to save her, Rhaegar’s voice crying out to her gives her the strength that she lost.

But Nehelenia looks wholly unimpressed and is bored as the black dragonfire hits her. It does nothing but annoy her and she shoots an obsidian crystal straight into the sky and straight through both Balerion and Rhaegar and her king is falling, plummeting at high speed with his dragon to the ground. He lands with a sickening crunch, though luckily not under his great beast who is screeching in pain beside them. He is groaning, and Serenity crawls over to him, crying out to him as Nehelena cackles into the blood light.

She holds Rhaegar’s head in her lap, his blood draining into the ground around them joining their lost child and Rhaeye’s lifeblood underneath the cherry blossom tree. The tears have stopped now, because she has no more left to cry. Nehelenia is taking everything – her mother, her sisters, her babe and now her child. Serenity looks up, “I will end you. I will do more than seal you away. You will be _nothing_! Do you hear me you wicked witch? Nothing!”

And as her tears dry, the Silver Crystal forms and everything changes. She stands, blood staining her white gown and she thrusts the crystal forward, knowing that to use the Crystal without a barrier is folly, “You will hurt us no more! You will pay for the lives you have taken! You will lose!”

“But I do not need to win, sweet Selene. You can destroy this body. You can destroy me. But you cannot end what is already in motion. Even when you win you will lose. You will lose everything,” the Cursed Queen promises, “For you cannot survive the revenge that you seek. You will die.” And she says it with a laughter that Serenity hates, truly hates. She wants this woman gone, wants her family back, wants to trade the life of the Cursed Queen for the life of her dead child, Rhaeye, and soon, her dying husband.

Serenity is glowing now. She is white with power, aflame with her birth right, brighter than she has ever been. This is not the glow that had been present since the Long Sleep, which had turned her into Selene. It is something new, something different. She is the Crystal and the Crystal is her. In this moment she is _Selene_. She is a _god_.

“I am Serenity, Daughter of Selenity. I am Selene, Queen of the Moon Kingdom, and I send you back to Galaxy Cauldron!” She won’t settle for the spell that keeps Nehelenia away, won’t settle for a curse that will do nothing but break. She wants Nehelenia to be gone, to be over, to never come back. Darkness cannot exist without Light, but she can force the Darkness to the opposite end of the universe.

And in that moment, Venus is there, and she is shoving the Holy Blade through Nehelenia’s back. The blood is everywhere, black and red touching the ground of the clearing in a mixture of decay. The heart tree is weeping red tears, the white leaves dripping the blood that has covered everything in the clearing of the godswood.

The Silver Crystal is still shaking, and its power is so strong that Serenity can barely hold on. But she can feel it, can feel the lover Rhaegar has for her, can feel Mars calling to her from the other side. So she holds on, holds on harder and harder until the light of the Silver Crystal is so powerful that in her wounded, poisoned state, Nehelenia is falling to the purity.

“I, Queen Serenity VII and I send you back to Galaxy Cauldron, where all life begins and all life ends!”

Nehelnia shrieks as she wrinkles, as she loses her immortality, as the years she has lived catch up with her. She shrivels up and as the light of the moon turns white and as the blood moon is gone the Cursed Queen shatters and she withers into dust that is no more dangerous that the soil on the Moon.

But Nehelenia is right. It doesn’t matter that Serenity has won, because she has still lost. Her surprise attack has left thousands dying and Rhaegar is barely breathing. They have lost a child, and Serenity is still bleeding. Rhaeye is dead. Others are probably dead. Venus is lying on the ground, suffering from taking the backlash of the Dark Crystal.

Serenity and Rhaegar’s eyes are locked and Serenity is crying because never did she think her husband would die for her. Never did she think she would outlive him. They were meant to die together, so she would not be lonely in her old age in eternal life. She gave up her immortality to avoid a life of loneliness, but now she will be alone in the world, as her children all die and the world ages.

“Sere-?” he gasps as he touches her hands.

“Please-” she cries, “Don’t speak! We can heal you. I can heal you!”

It’s a lie and the both know it because she’s been praying this whole time and the Crystal is cold. The Crystal refuses to save Rhaegar and Serenity knows this means that Rhaegar was always meant to die in this moment. The Silver Crystal cannot change fate. It can only heal those who are not meant to die.

She can only breathe life into those who must still live.

Rhaegar is lost to her, lost to their children, lost to the gods.

“I love you,” he whispers. He says it so quietly she almost misses it, but her tears are falling, right on Rhaegar’s face, and his blood is everywhere, as red as the moon had been moments before. It’s on everything and it’s staining her dress. She’s bathing in his blood, Rhaeye’s blood, their child’s blood.

“I love you more,” Serenity says, trying to pretend this isn’t happening, that her husband isn’t dying in her arms.

“I – sorry,” Rhaegar shudders, “Should have – loved you – more ways.”

Serenity is weeping now because this is so Rhaegar, to wish that they could push back time, that he could right his wrongs. That they could have been together for longer, and loved each other firmer. She suddenly hates herself for ignoring him for so many turns. She could have had more time with him. They could have had more time together if she hadn’t been so spiteful over something he had no control over.

“Me too,” Serenity sniffs through the tears, “I love you, Rhaegar Targaryen, more than anything. And, if you must go I will love you even when you are gone. If you must leave me then I will mourn you. I will never love another; I swear it.”

And Rhaegar tries to smile but then his eyes go dull and he takes a shallow, shuddering breath and then his chest ceases to rise again. Rhaegar is dead. And around them the Red Keep is burning. She has lost everything.

As the moon reaches high in the sky, no longer bleeding, a light flashes and Serenity reels back in horror. How? How could this have happened? They have worked too hard, defeated the great Darkness, brought the light of the moon back! Nehelenia is gone. There should be peace. They had earned happiness, and yet how could she be happy with Rhaegar dead in her arms?

But Venus is burning, bright in the sky, with heat and acid spitting across the skies and suddenly the world is still.

The smallfolk are all watching, screaming in horror and terror as Venus collides straight into the sun, as the planet of acid and fire is absorbed whole into the burning star. It is over. They cannot survive this, cannot survive the Doom. The prophecy has come to pass. Was it all for nothing? Did they leave their homes for nothing? Did she marry Rhaegar for nothing?

 _No_. She refuses to believe that she married her husband, brought children into this world for nothing more than a dream. The Crystal is still in front of her, glowing with an intense heat, shining with the same white light that had destroyed Nehelenia. Only the Crystal can stop the Doom that is coming. Only she can control the Crystal to force it do her bidding. She must bend its will, bend it so that she can save her people; save her children.

But this must be their fate. This is what should have been. This is how the world was meant to end. After all, Mars’ prophecies had never been wrong.

It seems like everything is moving in slow motion. The sun is burning, and spitting fire and the temperature is rising and the smallfolk are screaming in terror because it is so hot that she feels suffocated, feels like she is burning from the inside out. They cannot die like this. She must try, even if it is all for naught.

But she remembers the prophecy of Azor Ahai, remembers the things that were said to her by little Rhaeya. She had become Queen in smoke and salt, and the orange star was burning while the eclipse had come.

_It’s you. Not her. It’s you. You. Not her. Not her. You. As you are cursed. As you are cursed. You. Cursed._

And Nehelenia is whispering in her ear, reminding her of the words she spoke into truth.

“ _Three curses I Lay Upon Your Throne_

_As true as the words of the wise crone_

_One to die before your heir is grown_

_To kiss and cry before she is shown_

_Two to lose all that you have known_

_In Fire and Ice when Venus is blown_

_Three to turn your Kingdom into stone_

_To die too young, in fear and alone_ ”

It’s you not her and Serenity’s soul seems to shatter in that moment.

The curse had not been on her mother, but had been on her. She had lost her kingdom, was losing this planet to Venus’ demise. And if it was to be believed, she would die. She would die tonight as her kingdom turned to stone. But she must try, even if she dies. She must try. The curse _must_ be broken. Her kingdom _must_ be saved. And so she puts all of her focus on the Crystal, knowing that to do so once is folly, and to do so twice is death. And as the Sun spits fire straight towards her people who are burning, screaming, dying, she looks more fierce than she has ever before.

 _Please_ ,she prays, _I ask you to do this not for me but for them. I ask you to save them, to keep us safe. I ask you for their lives, even if in exchange for mine._ And she says it over and over, until she is speaking it aloud, screaming it into the abyss as the fire comes closer and closer. She feels wetness in front of her and from where he lays in lap, Serenity realizes that her blood is dripping down her face.

“Stop!”Venus is screaming, “You will die, Serenity. Please! This is not the way!”

“I ask you this!” Serenity shouts as the Crystal burns brighter and brighter and the fire has come and it is burning, “I ask you to give us another chance. If the gods are true, if the stars are kind, I ask for our souls back.Bring us to another time, and another place where we can be happy, if we are meant to be.”

And at that moment the Silver Crystal shatters into a million steel shards and Serenity finally knows what it is like to die. Her pupils are blown and as she collapses into her husband’s blood under the cherry blossom tree the last thing she sees is Saturn dropping her glaive and then a bright white light engulfs them all and Serenity doesn’t know if it's the Doom or death but there is no pain.

There is only nothing.

* * *

 

**2018.**

If she didn’t hurry up she’s going to be late. Her German class had gotten out on time, but the Central line had been delayed and so what should have been a short trip from Holborn to Notting Hill Gate and a leisurely walk to the address she had been given was going to be a frantic run. She couldn’t be late to this job. Her friend Molly had gotten her this job through her modeling connections and this guy was willing to pay her forty quid an hour to babysit two kids. She was supposed to babysit for a few hours tonight, and if it went well, Molly said that guy would ask for her at least two to three times a week while he was working.

Her parents offered to help out their daughter as best they could, but Serenity’s family subsided on a single income. Her father had a well paying job at BBC as a foreign correspondent, but printed news was becoming obsolete. Her mother hadn’t worked since she had gotten married, and Sammy, Serenity’s younger brother, still had several more years of school tuition to pay. They had enough to worry about without Serenity’s school fees and rent. Plus, this job would help fund the fees to take her teaching qualifications so that she could put her language degree to good use.

If this job went well, Serenity could pay for her dumpy flat in Whitechapel and have enough money to put away to support her other “job”. Sailor Moon and the Sailor Soldiers weren’t paid for stopping crime in London, and they certainly didn’t get much thank from the media for risking their lives to stop knifings, alien invasions, and petty thieves. This job was vital to feeding her and paying for her books.

When she finally gets to the door she knocks hesitantly, straightening out her favorite tapered black dungarees and blouse and adjusting the backpack she had carried to class that had her schoolwork, a coloring book, a pack of colored pencils, a set of Legos and a few soft toys.

The door opened later to reveal a kindly looking elderly woman who beckoned her in, sat her down on a couch that cost more than Serenity’s tuition and brought her tea.

“Mr. McQueen will be here in a moment, dearie,” the woman said and true to her word, Mr. McQueen is in front of her within moments.

She nearly drops her tea and biscuits because holy crap –

“Serenity Grey?” he questions with a smile, and Serenity swoons. He’s even hotter in real life than he is in magazines. His platinum hair is thrown into a half up messy bun and falls about his shoulders. His eyes are naturally a deep violet, even though fans swear he wears contacts, and he is _covered_ in tattoos, not unlike Raye. He’s wearing a t-shirt but Serenity can see his two full sleeves of art and she knows from magazines that his chest is mostly covered as well. “I’m Rh-”

“Rhaegar,” Serenity says, “Rhaegar Targaryen.” As soon as she says it, she knows it’s a mistake. Not only is this man going to think she’s insane, but she’s about to lose the possibility of the only job prospect she’s had in the last three months.

And Rhaegar blinks and then sits down across from her. It is the first time that name has been said aloud. Most would recognize his face, after all, Rhaegar McQueen is one of the most successful stars in the United Kingdom. The twenty-six-year-old actor has done everything from _Harry Potter_ to the West End. He was the lead singer in the indie rock band, Sagittarius, that had blown up a few years ago. Mina has even opened for the European leg of their tour earlier this year. The question is how she had seen him on screen since she was a pre-teen and never realized that he was the one from her dreams?

“You remember,” he finally says.

Serenity hesitates and then nods, “Yes. I remember.”

Rhaegar smiles slightly, “You look the same, I think. But your hair is shorter now.”

Serenity feels so uncomfortable and self consciously touches her silvery locks. Is it supposed to be this weird? Meeting your soulmate? That’s what he was, after all. When her memories had returned to her she had remember what she said, what she had wished for. _I ask you to give us another chance. If the gods are true, if the stars are kind, I ask for our souls back. Bring us to another time, and another place where we can be happy, if we are meant to be_

“How did you find me?” she finally asks. Because there’s no way this is a coincidence. It’s impossible. London is a big city and the world is an even bigger place, and there was no way that this was an accident. It’s meant to be. Probably.

Rhaegar smiles, “I ran into Venus,” he said, “Her name is Mina now.”

“I know,” Serenity says shortly.

Rhaegar looks unbothered and continues, “She’s a hopeless romantic. So she mentioned this to your flat mate, Molly, and well, you know the rest.”

Serenity starts sniffling and to her horror she’s crying now because it’s all so real. It was just a dream before, a memory at the end of a long tunnel that separated her from the long dead Princess Serenity. The dreams had started when she was a child and only five years prior she had woken one morning and there had been two sets of memories. Sixteen-year-old Serenity had no children, but remembered holding a host of silver-blond haired children to her breast.

The rest of the Sailor Soldiers had woken around the same time and that is when Mina had promised that they would not have the same fate. She had trained Serenity, forced her to learn how to be Sailor Moon so she could protect herself, so that if the evil ever returned that it could not hurt Serenity more than she hurt it.

Rhaegar is sitting next to her in only moments, with a tissue and he doesn’t hesitant as he takes her into his arms, and hugs her tightly. It feels right and Serenity almost hates it because Princess Serenity vi Lunaryon might have known Prince Rhaegar Targaryen but Serenity Grey does _not_ know Rhaegar McQueen “I know it’s early, and I know you might be afraid, but I love you, truly. With everything I am. I’ve dreamt of you my whole life. I’ve searched for years and I was giving up.”

That infuriates Serenity because she’s here to _babysit_. His children are proof that he’s lying and it kills her, “You did give up! You have children!”

It hurts, she thinks, because Serenity had foolishly held out for him, knowing that maybe he wasn’t even out there to love her. Serenity had dated in high school, and had even considered having sex with a boy she thought was nice until she remembered her past and in that moment she couldn’t do it. How could she when someone else was there, waiting to love her?

Rhaegar snorts and then kisses her cheek fondly, “Viserys and Daenerys are not my children, my Moon Princess.”

Serenity gasps and shoves him in excitement as she jumps to her feet, “They’re here? You have them? Where are they?”

Rhaegar gives her a mock wounded look but Serenity can tell he’s as happy as she is that his siblings have also been reborn, had been destined, “Why are you more excited to see them than you are to see me?”

Serenity glares at him hard, “Viserys romanced me even when he was a toddler and _he_ never cheated on me.”

Rhaegar gives her a dark look and Serenity wishes she hadn’t said anything at all, “We can’t have this argument for the rest of our lives every time you get angry with me, Serenity. You know I did not want to cheat on you then, and I wouldn’t now.”

That makes her feel a bit guilty because this Rhaegar hasn’t done it, and from what she knows, the other Rhaegar hadn’t wanted to either. But he loves her, and he shows her the nursery where little Daenerys is sound asleep and where Viserys is playing with a model train set.

He is just as sweet as she remembers and Serenity can’t stop her eyes from welling up a little as the boy turns around with a wide grin from his toys. He looks alarmed at her tears though, the same shocked look he had given her on the day of their coronation, “Sister, leaking!” Serenity can’t help but remember the weight of Viserys on her chest, waking to him sleeping on her, and holding him tight as he fed from her breast. He is his brother, yes, but she always saw him as her first son.

Rhaegar and Serenity both take a sharp breath as Viserys rushes to hug Serenity’s neck tightly from where she is kneeling on the ground, “I missed, sister.”

Her tears are salty and she hates crying and the way it gives her a headache and solves nothing but she has missed Viserys, missed Daenerys, missed her children. His head is buried in her neck and Viserys smells just as he smelled before, like sunshine and the sea and Serenity remembers hugging him for the first time, dancing with him by the water, and watching him wed the Rose of Highgarden.

Serenity Grey is only twenty-one years old but she has spent the past five years mourning the children that never came from the body she resides in. She missed Rhaegar, missed their children, missed their smiling faces and the warmth in their eyes.

They play for hours, long after Mrs. Dalton, the elderly housekeeper, leaves and that night Serenity and Rhaegar make love well into the night.

* * *

 

Six months later, Serenity moves into Rhaegar’s townhouse. She throws a final party with her flatmates, and they see her off with hugs and tears. Truly they are all happy for her. Serenity’s finally graduated, passed her qualification exams, and she’s got a serious boyfriend who’s offered to live with her.

They’re visiting her family on the outskirts of London. Sevenoaks is a quiet town and Serenity is exceedingly nervous. Ikuko, Serenity’s mother is a stern half Japanese woman, but a loving mother and she had been badgering Serenity to meet her possible son-in-law soon. Serenity has never brought a boy home, and she’s fraught with nerves because not only is she bringing Rhaegar to her modest home but Viserys and Daenerys. Rhaegar puts the last of their bags into the back of his G-Wagon and they’re ready to leave his townhouse in West Kensington. Viserys and Daenerys are in the back seat, and Viserys is _begging_ to go to a pig farm that’s near Serenity’s parents house because his new daycare friend, Margaery Spencer brought her mini-pig to show and tell the day before. Viserys is painfully jealous even though he keeps vowing to marry both Margaery _and_ Serenity which Rhaegar mildly informs him won’t happen since _he_ will be marrying Serenity and because bigamy is illegal. Viserys doesn’t understand but is easily distracted for the rest of the car ride by a picture book of Peppa Pig.

They reach the cottage home relatively quickly, and Serenity is surprised when everything goes off near perfectly. Sammy is somehow _not_ an asshole or a kiss-ass to Rhaegar and Ikuko fawns over Rhaegar, feeding him bowl after bowl of curry because doesn’t he know he’s too skinny? Rhaegar and her father seem to get along, even when they go to sleep in the same bed that night which shocks Serenity because she thought her boyfriend would end up sleeping on the couch. It seems like Ikuko has laid into Ken Grey about not bullying Rhaegar (“That poor parentless child!” she kept saying over and over and Serenity wanted to roll her eyes because literally what the fuck, mom?). Rhaegar seems unbothered, and Serenity knows it’s because although Aerys and Rhaella were not siblings this time, Aerys was no better of a husband or a father than he was in his last life.

Either way, Viserys and Daenerys charm her parents and they don’t ask Rhaegar invasive questions about his work except when Ken eagerly asks if there’s going to be a third movie in the series that had rekindled Rhaegar’s interesting in acting after Sagittarius took off. Serenity steps on her father’s foot with a dirty look and Rhaegar just laughs and gives a half-assed answer that makes the journalist in Ken sure that there will be another sequel to his favorite movie.

They’re driving back to central London and Serenity feels truly blessed when she receives a short text from Mina.

_Did you know Oberyn and Ellaria were also reborn? Met these two at a club last night. Anyways, can you come with me to buy emergency contraceptive near yours? I always feel judged when I go to Boots around mine. xx_

Serenity rolls her eyes because that’s _so_ Mina. She’s a proud girl, a romantic, and Serenity wants to kick her sometimes because she never seems to remember to consistently take her birth control. Especially since Mina is known as Aphrodite, the musical sensation that had taken the world by storm. If she got caught buy Plan B- Serenity shivers.

Her sister guardians have all been reborn in this life. Amy was studying to be a neurosurgeon at Cambridge just like her mother. She’s the top of her class, and has been travelling between the United Kingdom and Germany for years. Lita was across the channel at Le Cordon Bleu learning to become a pasty chef so she can open her bakery. It had been her dream since her parents had died in a plane crash when she was young, and so she pursued it relentlessly. Raye is a full fledged practicing High Priestess of a coven of wiccans which pisses off her father, who’s an MP and annoys her grandfather, who’s priest at a local Parish. Amara and Michelle have found each other again, as an androgynous race car driver and her committed violinist life partner. They adopted an orphaned baby girl named Hotaru, who had revealed herself to be Saturn pretty early on. Trista is an Astronomer who’s stationed in Norway but she hand sews avantgarde fashion in her free time while she freeze her ass off in the cold. But there all here, and Rhaegar makes their life complete.  
They’ve been dating for a year and half when Rhaegar brings her to a restaurant in Soho. It’s their favorite place. It’s small, dumpy, cheap, and when Rhaegar wears sunglasses nobody even knows that a celebrity is eating udon noodles and a tempura vegetable combo for nine quid. They get green tea ice cream and although they usually get cake at the cash only bakery across the road, their favorite server, a high school girl named Pattida presents her with a cup of soft serve ice cream that has a giant diamond ring sitting on the top.

Anyway, Rhaegar proposes to her in their favorite restaurant on a really boring Tuesday night and Serenity thinks it’s perfect because she’s a simple girl. She just likes being romanced. All Rhaegar needs to do is give her flowers and treat her well and Serenity is in for the long haul.

The press is amazed that their engagement was so simple and are even more shocked at the small ceremony they have in her parent’s backyard. Lita helps her mother decorate everything in tulle and chiffon and there are fresh cut flowers, aromatic candles and rose petals everywhere. Rhaegar invites some of his actor friends and his bandmates from Sagittarius and Serenity invites the rest of the Sailor Soldiers, their partners and her best friend since primary school, Molly. In total, there are less than fifty guests. It’s over fast and they are all celebrating with Lita’s handmade desserts and dinner and when Serenity throws her bouquet, Mina catches it and winks exaggeratedly at Oberyn who drily reminds her that triadic marriages are illegal.

They’re married for two years when they have their first son. It’s the exact opposite of grand affair; entirely different than the parades of celebration for her last first pregnancy. Mina goes to buy a pregnancy test at Superdrug and then picks up some juice and a bag of Percy Pigs at M&S and they wait for the pee to come for ages. The stick says positive but Serenity only half believes it so she drinks more orange juice and pees on six more sticks, which Mina says is overkill. She’s pregnant.

She has an entire Pinterest board about ways to tell your husband he’s going to be a father because she’s been waiting for this moment since they got married. In the end she buys a soft rabbit from the Jellycat section at Selfridges and then puts the pregnancy test into a baby book where they can record everything that happens to their first child. Rhaegar cries when she tells him and Viserys and Daenerys are excited about having a niece or a nephew. Sammy comes over to babysit because pregnancy makes Serenity tired and forces her to crave all sorts of things she can’t eat like unpasteurized cheese and champagne gummy bears. They have a homebirth with a midwife because they don’t want the press swarming them at the hospital and their son is born with ten fingers, ten toes, and downy white blonde hair. They name him Rhaegon.

Sort of by accident, Rhaena is born only a year later and Serenity realizes it’s because she’s definitely forgotten to take her birth control. When she tells Rhaegar he laughs for half an hour because he remembers Serenity grumbling about having to pick up emergency contraceptive for Mina and she swats him so hard that he stumbles a bit but he’s still laughing.

Viserys is extremely unimpressed by Rhaena, and when they tell him he’s going to have a neice or nephew all he says is “Another one?” in horror as he drops his favorite set of Legos.

This causes Rhaegar to laugh even harder and this time Serenity kicks him straight in the shin, which Viserys copies. Daenerys can’t stand on one leg yet so she just claps her hand. Rhaegar stumbles again but ends up stepping on a Lego, which makes him curse, which makes Serenity hit him again, which makes Viserys hit him again, which makes Daenerys clap even louder. It’s a vicious cycle and Serenity can’t believe how many amazing things have happened to her. Her life is great the way it is. She’s got friends, she’s got a doting husband, and she has Viserys, Daenerys, Rhaegon, and Rhaena.

Serenity feels blessed when Rhaenys is born, red faced and squalling. Rhaegar is anxious, remembing what happened the last time that Rhaenys was born but this time everything goes smoothly, and their youngest daughter is perhaps the strongest baby they have.

Everything is truly blissful until Russia and the United States go to war and as the nuclear missiles fall Serenity makes a wish to save them all, to save all of the people on the planet and the world becomes ice. _How_? she wonders. They had lived a whole life for the world to end, and she will not let it happen again, will not allow the second chance she has at life to be spoiled and so they sleep.

They sleep and sleep and when they wake, Serenity has saved humanity from another coming of the Doom, and she knows that she is Selene once again. It is different this time, brighter, warmer. The glow is still there, but unlike the first time she was Selene, she is _one_ with the Silver Crystal. It is her and she is it. But she is no longer Sailor Moon. She is something more, something different. Perhaps she is a god. Perhaps she is truly Selene.

Maybe it’s her destiny to rule, because she is given a Crown by the people who are grateful that she has kept them alive, saved their world. At twenty-six years old, Serenity becomes Queen of the New Silver Millennium with thoughts in the back of her mind that make her fear for the Darkness. Nehelenia’s curse is broken, she knows, but the thought that she could lose everything again is always in her heart. But it’s a new time, and a new place and it takes conferences, arguments and bitterness from almost everyone but eventually she rules over this planet as her mother ruled over the moon. It is a time of peace. It is what Westeros should have been, if Nehelenia had not turned the world to ash.

And Serenity realizes that the prophecy has been fulfilled; both of them. Rhaegar and Serenity have brought the age of gods because there are no humans anymore, but Lunarians. They are all immortal, due to the long exposure of the Silver Crystal. Humanity is something _more._ It has evolved. This is a new world, where all achieve the lifetime that her people once had. Things are different now that she rules. They aren’t doomed anymore. There will only be peace. She won’t let anyone lose their lives to preventable things anymore. Chaos is gone. He will return, perhaps, but for now he is locked away in the Cauldron and he will not return until the seal is broken.

They are together for a thousand years before it is her time to fade. Crown Princess Selene will take the throne, and it takes a thousands years because her ability to control the crystal came slowly. Mercury thinks it is because the Crystal had bonded so thoroughly with Serenity. But eventually it leaves her, and just as it had in another life and in another place, her sisters begin to pass. And so when Serenity breathes her last she thinks about the life she has had with her husband, and how happy she is that they will all be together again, in another life. And she thinks to herself _allow us all to find each other and love again._

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. How many of you guys figured out Nehelenia was pretending to be Lyanna? How many of you figured out the curse was on Serenity and not Selenity? And that she was the Prince who was Promised? Comment below and if you liked this story please leave a final review. I hope you all have an amazing summer!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be up as soon as I finish chapter 4.


End file.
